Winter Sports ‘12-’13
The Ottawa Herald
Page 2B
Weekender, December 1, 2012
Photo by Matt Bristow/The Ottawa Herald
The 2012-13 Ottawa High School boys basketball team members are front row (from left), manager Nate Rodriguez, manager Alexis Dunnivan, manager Stephanie Brands, Taylor Graf, Dallas Natt, Kaden Shaffer, Dillon Boeh, Tyler Smith, manager Kylie Foster, manager Matt Robbins, manager Lane Chambers; back row, coach Jon McKowen, coach Evan Shaffer, coach Rob Hedrick, Jordan Markley, Alex Hasty, Semi Ojeleye, Austin Blaue, Wyatt Peters, Quentin Blaue, coach Blake Lasley and coach Ian Mathews.
OHS seniors gunning for state championship By GREG MAST Herald Sports Editor
The seniors have unfinished business. Most of The Ottawa High School boys basketball seniors have been playing together since elementary school. They are committed to each other and the Cyclones program. The nine seniors stayed in the program from start to finish. This class spearheaded Ottawa to three straight state championship games and are gunning for a fourth. The goal is to bring home the second boys basketball state title. Ottawa won state in 1971. Ottawa coach Jon McKowen said the seniors understand what it takes to play at a high level. “They have done an amazing job as a group of changing their bodies and athleticism in their four years,” McKowen said. “Even if basketball is not their first sport, they worked really hard on it in the off-season. The baseball guys would come in the mornings and played every weekend they had free. “To compete at the state level, you have to do a lot of extra. It is a year-around sport. The kids have bought into it the six years I have been here. I am blessed with the attitudes and effort from every kid I have coached at Ottawa.
That definitely includes this senior class.” Coming up short in the state title games has fueled this group. The players spend a lot of time in the gym and playing with different teams in the summer. “In the summer, we work on individual stuff,” McKowen said. “What is their weakness? Team stuff is very minimal. Everyone of these seniors have made them better basketball players in the off-season.” McKowen said because the players go in different directions during the summer it takes awhile to get the players back in sync with each other. “It is really post-Christmas until I feel we flow together,” he said. “It feels like nine new guys that have never played together before. They will catch on a lot faster because they did grow up together. “Right now we are missing a lot of open shooters. We are missing people in transition. We forget a little bit. That is OK. We don’t want it to be perfect now, but we want it to be perfect four months from now in March.” The top-ranked Cyclones are loaded with talented players, but there is more to it. McKowen said the players understand the mission and how to get there.
“It is great because they see the big picture and don’t get frustrated,” McKowen said. “Being seniors, they have matured past that. “We return three starters that have played in the state championship game two years in a row. We return the first two guys off the bench from last year. Everybody else was around it whether they were on the team or not. They know what it is about. They have the same unified goal.” The seniors know how to pace themselves through the long basketball season and keep things in perspective. “We have done a great job of staying focused during the regular season,” McKowen said. “You will have ups and downs. You try to learn from everyone of those. That way you don’t have those ups and downs in games 20 through 26.” The Cyclones are used to receiving a lot of attention, especially from fans, college coaches and media coming to watch Semi Ojeleye, a three-time all-state performer. Ojeleye signed with Duke a week ago and is ranked in the top 30 of the 2013 class by recruiting services. McKowen said all the extra attention is nice, but does not detract from what is important.
“In the six years I have been here, we have only been out of rankings one or two weeks,” McKowen said. “We have been very fortunate. It is something we want because we are doing the right thing. It does not really mean anything because after game 20, everybody is 0-0. We play the first 20 games for seeding and the next three to get to state and the next three to win it.” McKowen has made defense a priority in his era. He said that is the reason why Ottawa has been successful in close games. “Kids buying into the focus on the defensive end and really playing it hard, is the difference between four or five wins,” he said. “Last year, it happened to be in the biggest games of the year. It helped us [defeat Spring Hill in sub-state]. “We are offensively talented, but we can’t expect to throw up 90 points every game. There will be games when it does not flow or see something new that we were not ready for. Defense has to carry you through the tight ones. We have not had a year where we have gave up more than 54 points a game. We do things right on the defensive end. It is what wins games. We think it will take us to our ultimate goal.”
Ottawa expects opponents to try to take away 6-foot-8 Ojeleye, who averaged 32 points a game last year and is on pace to become the state’s all-time leading scorer. “The other guys around him know part of their job is to be offensively skilled enough where they can’t throw junk defenses at us,” McKowen said. “The one thing we will be better at this year is shooting. “We know we have to become better shooters, so they can’t pack it in on us and take away some of our athleticism.” Ottawa has seen all kinds of styles of play from opponents the past few seasons. “We found a lot of teams wanted to hold the ball last year,” McKowen said. “They want to shorten the game. We expect more of that.” An area of concern is rebounding. McKowen said this team can rebound, but needs to do it consistently. “Being disciplined to do it every time is a must,” McKowen said. The seniors bring a lot to the table. “They definitely have different talents,” McKowen said. “I hope the [one thing] that is different is they win their last game.”
KBCA preseason poll 6A Boys 1. Blue Valley NW 2. Olathe East 3. Blue Valley North 4. Wichita North 5. Olathe South 6. SM East 7. Derby 8. Blue Valley West 9. Topeka High 10. Wichita East 5A Boys 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel
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The Ottawa Herald
Weekender, December 1, 2012
Page 3B
Photo by Matt Bristow/The Ottawa Herald
The 2012-13 Ottawa High School girls basketball team members are front row (from left), Kylie Foster, Tyra Lyday, Alexis Roecker, Elsie Bones, Paige Weidner, Cydney Lewis; back row, manager Stephanie Brands, Brianna Pfizenmeier, Corie Fischer, Brette Moore, Maddie Lancaster, manager Amy-Grace Wilson and manager Erika Doty.
Cyclones expect to continue historic march By GREG MAST Herald Sports Editor
There will be a different look and feel to the Ottawa High School girls basketball team. Gone are the four senior starters, who were the backbone of three straight state tournament appearances and a sterling fouryear record of 82-17. But the cupboard is far from bare. “It has been different than the last four years because we have had everything defined for us coming into the season,” Ottawa coach Cliff McCullough said. “It is like having a clean slate. You don’t know who is going to step into the forefront. We are going to turn them loose and let them go and let them play. “I am so excited about this year. We don’t know what to expect. Expectations are high. I
think we have a really good basketball team. We are letting the whole team play.” The Cyclones will need all the players to do their part. Ottawa does not have an all-state player such as Jordan Baldwin to pull them through the rough spots. “This definitely will be a whole entire team effort,” McCullough said. “There will not be that one person we rely on like we have had in the past. We have to come together as a team. That will take some time for us.” Many of the players played together during the summer to start the process. “In the summer, it hurt us because Corie Fischer got hurt,” McCullough said. “She had a knee injury. She missed the summer league. We had to have other people step up. We had to have
Tyra [Lyday] playing the point. It was really good to get so many different people in so many different positions. “We got to look at a bunch of different people. That will benefit us. We also got to see some young people play. It opened our eyes to some players.” The experienced players began to take a leadership role as the summer season wound down. “You saw our older kids that took on the position now it was our time,” McCullough said. “They are excited about going out and proving to people they can play basketball at a high level. They are motivated to do that.” Ottawa sports six seniors and many have a lot of varsity time. Alexis Roecker has been a starter and a varsity player from day one. Lyday, Kylie Fischer, Paige
Weidner and Elsie Bones are three-year varsity players. Cydney Lewis played varsity minutes last year. “We have experience on this team,” McCullough said. “We have played a lot of girls the last couple of years. That will benefit us. It is going to be fun watching them. It will take this whole season for us to figure out who we are and how good we can be.” Sophomore Corie Fischer will be a full-time starter at point guard this season. McCullough said the experience she gained last year playing with Baldwin will be invaluable the rest of her high school career. “That is why we started her the last half of season so she could handle the ball against the Holtons and Haydens at the state tournament. She has that experi-
ence. Cydney will be the back up at point guard. I feel good about what these girls can bring to the table. “They have a passion and they want to prove to themselves they can play this game. “They can do it at the expectation and level I have for them.” McCullough also understands it will take him time to feel out this team after having the same players for the past two seasons. “It is going to be different for me,” he said. “This is going to be one of those teams that is going to get better every single day ... every single game. These kids want to do well. They are starting to believe. They want to go out and get better.” See OHS, Page 8B
KBCA preseason poll 6A Girls 1, Wichita Heights 2. Olathe Northwest 3. Maize 4. Olathe South 5. Washburn Rural 6. Free State 7. Wichita East 8. Blue Valley 9. Wichita South 10. Manhattan 5A Girls 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel
2. Salina Central 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 4. Mill Valley 5. Blue Valley 6. Newton 7. Andover 8. Andover Central 9. Bishop Carroll 10. Bishop Miege 4A Girls 1. McPherson 2. Wamego 3. Holton
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The Ottawa Herald
Page 4B
Weekender, December 1, 2012
Photo by Vern Brown/Anderson County Advocate
The 2012-13 Anderson County boys basketball team members are front row (from left), Steve Dial, Star Carter, Eric Small, Joey Read, Weston Gilbreth, Spencer Walter, Cameron Parks, Zach Hilliard; second row, coach Steve Lyon, Drew Mechnig, Tyler Woodward, Ian Comfort, Craig Brallier, Eric Tastove, Jack Rickabaugh, Tanner Lickteig and Wyatt Hulett.
Lyon takes reigns of AC Bulldog boys program By MIKE WEBBER Special to The Herald
GARNETT — The Anderson County High School boys basketball team is hoping a combination of a new head coach and an experienced senior class help them move to the top of the Pioneer League and a possible substate championship. Steve Lyon is an experienced basketball coach spending 15 years as a junior varsity coach
and six seasons as head coach of the Bulldog girls team in the 1990s. He has been away from coaching basketball for three seasons, but is ready to be back on the sidelines, leading a team of nearly 40 players. “I am inheriting a good group of players. We have seven seniors and six juniors, so it is a veteran team, which makes the transition easier for everyone,” Lyon said.
The coach will lean on three key seniors this season. They are Eric Testove, Drew Mechnig and Jack Rickabaugh. Tastove is a four-year starter in the post for the Bulldogs and Mechnig and Rickabaugh are beginning their third season at the varsity level. Rickabaugh is an all-around athlete and has qualified for state in golf several times. “With so many experienced
players, I expect to go deep into the bench each game. We will play a very up-tempo game, to take advantage of our depth,” Lyon said. Lyon will play a man-to-man defense in the halfcourt. Lyon is still learning about the Pioneer League, but thinks traditional powers Central Heights and Wellsville will be tough. The addition of Iola and a new coach in Prairie View add new
wrinkles in handicapping the field. “I think we need to be efficient on offense, and make good passes. If we are good fundamentally we might be able to make a run at the end of the year. We always end up with a very tough substate, usually catching Ottawa or Louisburg,” Lyon said. Ottawa area sports can be followed on twitter @ottawasports1
Photo by Vern Brown/Anderson County Advocate
The 2012-13 Anderson County girls basketball team members are front row (from left), Amanda Moody, Jaime Mersman, Cheyanne Ratliff, Macy Adams, Michaela Stevenson, Tayler Porter; second row, Madison Ratliff, Hannah Steele, Bailey Rockers, Ida Yoder, Vera Yoder, Kacey Coffelt, Conner Parks, MaKayla Kueser; back row, Tragen Guernsey, Cassidy Lutz, Gwen Sibley, Morgan Egidy, Reagan Jirak, Bailee Wilson, Kinlee Jones, Bel Sibley, Macy Rockers, Jami Sutton, Paige Scheckel and coach Tim Bremerman.
AC Bulldog girls return experienced players By MIKE WEBBER Special to The Herald
GARNETT — The Anderson County High School girls basketball team has suffered through two straight poor seasons, winning just five games in that span. Those disappointing teams were filled with young players, who were thrown into the fire of varsity competition. Now those players are upperclassmen and the hope is the fire
has hardened them and made them ready for a turnaround season. Third-year coach Tim Bremmerman also suffered through the hard times, but is confident that his squad of 29 players is ready to compete with the best teams in the Pioneer League. Anderson County returns three starters and three other letterwinners from last year’s squad.
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“Most of those girls have been on the varsity squad for the past three seasons, so they have quite a bit of experience. We also have 16 freshmen, and I think some of the new girls may be ready to contribute right away,” Bremmerman said. The returning starters are all seniors: guards Macy Adams and Amanda Moody along with forward Jaime Mersman. The returning letterwinners
are junior Taylor Porter and seniors Cheyanne Ratliff and Michaela Stevenson. “I can already see these girls stepping forward to be senior leaders. They are already in sync and playing well together,” Bremmerman said. The Pioneer League was senior-laden last season, which makes it a rather wide-open race for the league title this year, Bremmerman said.
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“We have to develop the instinct to put away an opponent in the fourth quarter. We dropped some fourth quarter leads last year, or failed to make a shot that would have tied the game up late,” Bremmerman said. The coach believes that if this team can learn to win games at the end and limit their turnovers, they could make a run through the 4A sub-state tournament, which is in Fort Scott.
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The Ottawa Herald
Weekender, December 1, 2012
Page 5B
CH boys look to rebuild team By MIKE WEBBER Special to The Herald
Submitted photo
The 2012-13 Central Heights High School boys basketball team members are front row (from left), Trever Burkdoll, Drew Beckwith, Austin King, Grayson Pfister, Adam Pryor; second row, Jordan Horstick, Tristan Davis, Cole Sheldon, Tanner Erhart, Zach McAfee, Tyler Hendron, Dalton Thompson; third row, Tyler Hettinger, Chance Schooler, Gavin Holler, Alex Shrimpton, Chase Brown, Willie Malone; fourth row, Phillip Mayhew, Cade Hibdon, Jacob Pryor, Matt Percy, Merrick Brown, Zele Smith, Logan Speaks, Sam Skeet, Marcus Watson, Tim Savage; back row, Austin Massengale, Cade Masingale, Tanner Johnson, Jared Oshel and Trever Wichman. Not pictured is Jake Savage.
The Central Heights High School boys basketball team had a tremendous season a year ago. The Vikings posted a 22-4 mark and finished third at the 3A state tournament. A group of five senior starters fueled that special season. Now it is another group of players’ turn to keep the winning tradition alive. Viking coach Rusty Cannady begins his fourth season with 37 players, and while none of them are returning starters he does have seven players with varsity experience. There are four seniors on this year’s team that are expected to play significant roles. They are shooting guard Drew Beckwith — who played at an exceptionally high level at the state tournament last spring — point guard Trever Burkdoll,
Adam Pryor and Austin King. Junior forward Jordan Horstick will be asked to be the carry much of the scoring load for this year’s Vikings. Cannady described Horstick as a versatile player who makes everyone around him better both on and off the court. Four younger players who are expected to play a large role this season are Tanner Erhart, Tyler HenSee CH BOYS, Page 8B
Photo by Matt Bristow/The Ottawa Herald
The 2012-13 Central Heights High School girls basketball team members are front row (from left), Madison Blevins, Kenzie Hayward, Allison Schulz, Sam Stegner, McKenna Furst, Whitney Kraus; second row, Sndney Meyer, Tami Schaefer, Amanda Raby, Brianna Erhart, Mychaela Clissold, Jessie Porter; back row, Regan Markley, Haley Sharrow, Sammie Weiderholt, Jessie Louden and Nicole Johnston.
Viking girls need returners to adapt to new roles
By MIKE WEBBER Special to The Herald
The Central Heights High School girls basketball team finished just short of making backto-back appearances in the state tournament last season. They had a shiny 19-4 record and five senior starters. This season a young team will be called on to quickly get back to the high standards the program has established the past two seasons.
Third-year coach Scott Lane is working with a small squad this season, with just 17 players and only one senior in his projected starting lineup. The Vikings generally field three teams, varsity, junior varsity and freshmen, but will consolidate to just two teams this year because of the lack of players. Central Heights doesn’t lack players without varsity experience.
Go Vikings!
The Vikings return five letterwinners: senior forward Sam Stegner, sophomore post Sydney Meyer, sophomore point guard Brianna Erhart, junior Whitney Kraus and junior forward Kenzie Hayward, who was the sixth-man last season and is the player with the most varsity experience. “With a team this young, we are spending a lot more time practicing the basics and fundamentals this year. We will be doing a lot
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of things differently this season, I believe in adjusting to the players you have and not being locked into a system,” Lane said. The Vikings have used its array of offensive skills the past couple of seasons to outscore their opponents, but this Central Heights team will not be that explosive. Lane said defense will be the key, and the Vikings need to keep their opponents under 40 points
per game if they are going to be successful. Lane does not see an obvious front-runner in the Pioneer League this year. He said Osawatomie, Prairie View and Anderson County may have the most returning talent, but overall the league is very even. “It will probably come down to which team can come together and work together the best,” Lane said.
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The Ottawa Herald
Page 6B
Weekender, December 1, 2012
Photo by Matt Bristow/The Ottawa Herald
The 2012-13 Wellsville High School boys basketball team members are front row (from left), Gage Leckner, Tony Dougan, Trent Church, Andy Dougan, Nathan Cunningham, Camdyn Coons; second row, Gaven Gretencord, Kyle Taylor, Brandon Chrisp, Blake Qualls, Dillon Ware, Caleb Pearson; third row, Lance Meyer, Carter Mann, Shamus Kearney, Trevor Shalkoski, Hunter Thuro, Trent Smith; fourth row, Tyler Brown, Shelton Breithaupt, Zach Strawn, Kenneth Hoppy, Brett Obern, Shane Hillman; back row, Jonathan Hackathorn, Jared Klamm, Caleb Powelson, Jacob Dalrymple, Luke Meyer, Chris Adee and Cole Silsby.
Decker molding young Eagles into his image By GREG MAST Herald Sports Editor
WELLSVILLE — There is a reason why young players receive playing time at the junior varsity level. It seasons them and has them better prepared for varsity when their time comes. The Wellsville High School boys basketball team will be counting upon those players moving up to the varsity from last year’s junior varsity squad. The Eagles were senior heavy
last year in coach Thatcher Decker’s first season. The Eagles went 9-14, which included two upsets in the sub-state tournament. The Eagles return two players with any varsity experience and both of them are young, so the early part of the season will involve a lot of teaching. “By Christmas I expect us to be pretty good,” Decker said. “We are guard-oriented. We have a couple of bigs that will help us. They are young. We are athletic.
We have guys that are basketball first. “This group is little more basketball focused. I am able to teach them good habits. This group has been ready for basketball for awhile.” All the players on the varsity are in their second year in the system, “It is easier,” Decker said. “All we had to do was review our offense. Last year it was the nuts and bolts.”
There will be a lot of growing pains with the young players thrown together at the varsity level. Some will play different roles than they are used to. “It will be an adjustment,” Decker said. “The speed of the game [is faster]. You can’t show it on film.” The two returners are junior guard Shamus Kearney and junior forward Carter Mann. Kearney played big minutes as a sophomore point guard. He averaged
13 points and four assists last year. “Shamus Kearney got thrown to the fire because of injuries,” Decker said. “Carter Mann played good minutes last year. Big game situations don’t bother them.” Kearney will move from point guard to a wing guard and spent the summer and fall rehabbing from shoulder surgery. See EAGLES, Page 8B
Photo by Matt Bristow/The Ottawa Herald
The 2012-13 Wellsville High School girls basketball team members are front row (from left), Rebecka Ohlmeier, Morgan Cunningham, Erica McTaggart, Darcy Bonzo, Emily Strawn; second row, Kaylynn Peacock, Holli Geist, Moriah Kayhill, Justine Dougan, Ashley Sparks, Emily Newhouse; third row, Sierra Savage, Rayne Wright, Gabi Martinez and Sadi LaMay. Not pictured are Megaan Manes, Ashtyn Rottinghaus and Sarah Nash.
Campbell attempts to change attitudes of girls team By GREG MAST Herald Sports Editor
WELLSVILLE — Brock Campbell is attempting to change the attitude and the style of play in the Wellsville High School girls basketball program. The numbers of players and excitement level for basketball dipped the past few seasons. So did the wins. Wellsville went 3-18 last year. Campbell is not new to the players or coaching high school basketball. He coached the Pomona High School boys from 2005
to 2007 and spent the past four seasons coaching Wellsville Middle School girls basketball.
“I have had everyone of them,” Campbell said. “It has been an easier transition. They kind of know what I expect. I know what they can do. I know ability levels. I have some familiarity. “We are doing things different than middle school. We are doing some of the same principles.” Campbell preached to the girls about playing with an attitude to match their athletic talent. Many of the players play on winning volleyball and softball teams. The volleyball team is coming off two straight state tournament
appearances, while the softball team went to state two years ago and was close last year. “I don’t want to be that down time in between state teams,” Campbell said. “We have athletes. We have talent. It is transitioning it into basketball. “We have talked a lot about expecting to win ... having a different attitude. Have confidence in yourself. Don’t sit around waiting for things to go bad, make it happen.” Campbell wants this team to play quick because of its lack of
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size. “I know we don’t have much height,” he said. “We have to rely on speed and quickness. We are working on a 5-out, no-in set. “We want to press and push the ball down the floor. We want to get as many transition layups as we can. We have to make sure we are making our layups.” The new system and new coach brings about a chance for players to see court time and be used in different roles.
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The Ottawa Herald
Weekender, December 1, 2012
Page 7B
Photo by Matt Bristow/The Ottawa Herald
The 2012-13 West Franklin High School boys basketball team members are front row (from left), Tate Jackson, Damen Abbott, Oaklee Homer, Cody Renfro, Colin Downey, Jimmie Worthy, Alex Barber; second row, Randall Watkins, Bryan Ward, Manny Peine, Kolton Eckenroed, Brady Geist, Mitch Walters, Owen Reed, Matt Gray; back row, Oleg Nelson, Caleb Short, Derek Peugeot, Isaiah Messick, Tyler Rogers, Klayton Lacey, Cody Smith, Clay Altic, Will Duda, Brett Whittington and Austin Gilkey.
WF boys to pose matchup problems with size By MIKE WEBBER Special to The Herald
POMONA — Opponents may have a hard time matching the size of the West Franklin High School boys basketball team this season. The Falcons expect to start a lineup of players between sixfoot and 6-4 with a couple of others in the 6-2 to 6-4 range coming off the bench.
The Falcons return two starters and two lettermen from last year’s 9-12 team. Fourth-year coach James Spencer is looking to improve on West Franklin’s third place finish in the Flint Hills League. The returning starters are both seniors: two-year starter at guard Owen Reed and 6-2 forward Mitch Walters. The other two lettermen are senior 6-3
guard Brady Geist and junior 6-4 post Matt Gray. Geist averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and an assist last year and earned all-league and allarea honors. Spencer expects four sophomores to make an impact this season. They are 6-4 post Klayton Lacey, 6-1 forward Tyler Rogers and guards Clay Altic and Will Duda.
“This is a very competitive group of kids,” Spencer said. “They kind of play with a chip on their shoulders. We have good size and strength and they want to guard people.” Spencer said the Falcons have a shot at battling for the top of Flint Hills League and make a run for a state berth. “Lyndon has a great team year after year, so even though they
lost a lot I still look for them to be near the top,” Spencer said. “But I think it is a solid league. We have a shot this year. “Our defense is the key for us to be successful this year. We need to concentrate on shutting people down, if we are going to reach the state tournament.” Ottawa area sports can be followed on twitter @ottawasports1
Photo by Matt Bristow/The Ottawa Herald
The 2012-13 West Franklin High School girls basketball team members are front row (from left), Abby Morrison, Alexa Ryan, Alexis Yelland, Sierra Miller, Emily Reed, McKenzie Steele, Bailey Whittington; back row, Brittany Shaffer, Adreyanna Sharp, Tori Coopman, Megan Ecord, Macy Flory, Shealee Crosby, Tiffany Montano, Bailey Shaffer and Fallon Dyer.
Falcon girls sport young, but experienced squad By MIKE WEBBER Special to The Herald
POMONA — The West Franklin High School girls basketball team will have a lot of time to grow together with just one senior in the program. The Falcons may boast younger players, but not necessarily inexperienced ones. West Franklin third-year coach Kyle Conley re-
turns two starters and eight letterwinners from last year’s 5-16 squad. Senior guard Sierra Miller has been an all-league selection the past two seasons. She is being counted on to provide leadership for this squad team. The other returning starter is junior guard McKenzie Steele,
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who is a two-year starter. Other key returners include sophomore guard Bailey Whittington, who was very productive at the junior varsity level last season; junior guard Alexis Yelland, who the coaching staff praises for her work ethic, and junior forward Emily Reed, who should be a match-up problem due to her high level of athleticism.
Conley could see a shift in the Flint Hills League. Northern Heights won the title last season, but has a new coach. The boys coach shifted to lead the girls. Conley looks for Council Grove to be improved along with Mission Valley, which had a coaching change last season. Conley said the Falcons need to execute better on offense,
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which was one of their weaknesses last year. “We have to get into great sets and execute our offense. Also our work ethic has to be good. Our goal is not be outworked by our opponent in any game,” Conley said. Ottawa area sports can be followed on twitter @ottawasports1
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The Ottawa Herald
Page 8B
Weekender, December 1, 2012
CH BOYS
A big swat
(Continued from Page 5B)
File Photo/The Ottawa Herald
Central Heights junior Jordan Horstick attempts to block a shot last year against Wellsville. Horstick will assume a bigger role this season as a starter and main scorer for the Vikings, who were ranked No. 5 in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association 3A boys preseason poll.
EAGLES: Kearney back (Continued from Page 6B) “He is a complete wildcard,” Decker said. “He had shoulder surgery last summer. He did not do anything. He has improved. Nothing will faze him. He showed me how far he came last year.” Kearney scored 29 points in the upset of Humboldt in last year’s substate game. “Point guard was not a great fit for him,” Decker said. “I look for a big year from him.” Mann took over the team during the summer in Kearney’s absence. “Carter had a great summer,” Decker said. “He is a great athlete. He is our best defender. He came on at the end of last year. He has grown [up] a lot.” Sophomore Cole Silsby is expected to take over the point guard duties. He led the junior varsity last year in scoring at 16 points a game.
“He is ready to learn,” Decker said. “Playing point guard for me is hard. I am so much harder on them because that is what I know best.” Others expected to play a lot are junior Luke Meyer and senior Shane Hillman. “We are still young,” Decker said. “Our guards will be very solid. We have to commit to the want to plays. We have to defend. We have to get up and down [the floor]. We have to rebound. We will have to be the toughest team on the floor this year.” Decker said this team has a different feel to it because of the newness to the varsity level. “I am excited,” he said. “I am trying to get them to understand what I am looking for. We are a family here. This group is really tough.” Ottawa area sports can be followed on twitter @ottawasports1
dron, Tristan Davis and Zach McAfee. “They worked hard all summer,” Cannady said. “They are a group that is self-disciplined and knows how to bring it on defense.” The players learn the Viking system during their elementary years, so there is not much new to learn once they reach high school. They just have to run those sets against tougher competition. Cannady figures the Pioneer League will be a dogfight. “Iola is new to the league this year, and I know their guards are sound,” he said. “Osawatomie has been champions or co-champions of the league every year, so the path to the title runs through them. Wellsville has a couple of the better players in the league, Carter Mann and Shamus Kearney. Prairie View has a new coach, so they may have couple of new wrinkles. It should be a solid league this year.” The coach said a repeat run to the state tournament could happen if the returning players learn quickly about how to win at the varsity level. “We’ll have to play sound fundamentally and be disciplined, but there is no substitute for learning how to win at the varsity level.” Cannady said. “We have increased the strength of our nonconference opponents, so we need to learn quickly.”
GIRLS: Rebuilding OHS: Defense to be strength (Continued from Page 6B)
(Continued from Page 3B)
“Everybody has an opportunity,” Campbell said. “They have a great attitude. They are excited.” The coach does have players with varsity basketball experience with five players returning from last year. Ashley Sparks, Erica McTaggart, Darcy Bonzo and Morgan Cunningham started last year. Mariah Kayhill was a reserve last year. Emily Strawn returned to the basketball team after not playing last year. “We have a lot of young underclassmen,” Campbell said. He is mixing those with the five seniors, which includes Rebecka Ohlmeier, who is playing basketball for the first time. “She is tall ... she is athletic,” Campbell said. The coach hopes the Eagles can hit some outside shots. He said Bonzo and sophomore Emily Newhouse could provide that for the Eagles. Campbell understands there will be some bumps along the way and knows the rebuilding process takes time. “I am hoping in a couple of months we look a lot different than we do now,” he said.
The coach saw characteristics he likes in the short time they have been together. “This a very intense team,” McCullough said. “It nice to see they are feeding off each other’s intensity ... positiveness. “This group will work their butts off. I don’t see any of them taking plays off. They go hard to the basket.” The strength of the Cyclones will be their defense. Ottawa, at times, played sterling defense the past few years, but did not sustain it. “This could be the best defensive team I have coached in 16 years,” McCullough said. “These girls are long, they are fast, they are aggressive. They can get after it. “From top to bottom, we are faster than we were last year. Our goal is to hold every team under 40 points. I think this team can play that kind of defense. They really enjoy playing defense and that is a good thing for us. We really don’t know right now how we are going to score in the halfcourt
Ottawa area sports can be followed on twitter @ottawasports1
set. Our defense will have to be really good. They know that. We have some people who have taken their game up a level offensively.” The Ottawa girls program has not had a losing season since the early 1990s. One reason is because of talent another is the expectations remain at a high level. Last year’s team broke through to rewrite history with its third straight state tournament appearance. This season, the Cyclones are not about to go away quietly. “They know going into this year they have a chance to continue history by getting to that fourth consecutive state tournament,” McCullough said. “Our expectations don’t change: win the Frontier League, win sub-state and get back to Salina for the fourth straight time.” Ottawa will have its sub-state tournament at home, beginning in late February. The field includes Baldwin, De Soto, Eudora, Louisburg, Osawatomie, Ottawa, Paola and Spring Hill. Ottawa area sports can be followed on twitter @ottawasports1
Schedules ANDERSON COUNTY Dec. 3 Baldwin Pre-Tourney Dec. 4 Baldwin Pre-Tourney Dec. 7 Baldiwn Pre-Tourney Dec. 20 TONGANOXIE Jan. 4 METRO Jan. 8 OSAWATOMIE Jan. 11 CENTRAL HEIGHTS Jan. 15 Baldwin Inv. (B) Jan. 17 at Wellsville (G) Jan. 18 Baldwin Inv. (B) Jan. 19 Baldwin Inv. (B) Jan. 22 Wellsville Inv. (G) Jan. 24 Wellsville Inv. (G) Jan. 25 at Wellsville Jan. 26 Wellsville Inv. (G) Jan. 29 at Prairie View Feb. 1 at Iola Feb. 5 WELLSVILLE
Feb. 8 at Osawatomie Feb. 12 at Central Heights Feb. 15 PRAIRIE VIEW Feb. 18 PAOLA Feb. 19 IOLA CENTRAL HEIGHTS Dec. 3-7 Osawatomie Tourney Dec. 11 at Burlington Dec. 14 METRO Jan. 8 IOLA Jan. 11 at Anderson County Jan. 15-19 Pleasanton Toure Jan. 22 WEST FRANKLIN Jan. 25 at Jayhawk-Linn Jan. 29 at Osawatomie Feb. 1 WELLSVILLE Feb. 5 at Prairie View Feb. 8 at Iola Feb. 12 ANDERSON COUNTY
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Feb. 15 OSAWATOMIE Feb. 19 at Wellsville OTTAWA Dec. 6-8 Goodland Tourney Dec. 14 at De Soto Dec. 15 Grandview, KC (B) Dec. 18 LOUISBURG Jan. 4 PAOLA Jan. 8 BALDWIN Jan. 11 EUDORA Jan. 14-19 Basehor Inv. Jan. 22 HAYDEN Jan. 29 at Spring Hill Feb. 5 DE SOTO Feb. 8 at Louisburg Feb.12 at Paola Feb. 15 at Baldwin Feb. 19 at Eudora Feb. 21 SPRING HILL
WELLSVILLE Dec. 4 WEST FRANKLIN Dec. 6 Valley Falls (Pomona) Dec. 7 Oskaloosa (Vall. Falls) Dec. 14 EUDORA Dec. 18 Jeff Co. North Jan. 4 at Prairie View Jan. 8 at Maranatha Jan. 11 at Osawatomie Jan. 17 ANDERSON CO. (G) Jan. 15-19 Baldwin Inv. (B) Jan. 22-26 Wellsville Inv. (G) Jan. 25 ANDERSON CO. (B) Jan. 29 IOLA Feb. 1 at Central Heights Feb. 5 at Anderson County Feb. 8 PRAIRIE VIEW Feb. 12 OSAWATOMIE Feb. 15 at Iola
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