2017 Season Tip-Off

www.columbiatribune.com COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE Friday, November 17, 2017 B1

SEASON TIP-OFF SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE

They’re back!

After heartbreaking quarterfinal loss, Rock Bridge junior trio has one thing in mind:

A DEEP POSTSEASON RUN. B4-B5 Hickman:

Rock Bridge:

Tolton:

Battle:

Cray Logan to plans to give Kewpies boys more flexibility.

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Jill Nagel won't let Bruins girls rest on team's past success.

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After years of leaning on inside post play, Trailblazers girls go up-tempo. Page B6

Spartans boys look to maintain momentum after district championship. Page B7

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Friday, November 17, 2017

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Kewpies get back to fundamentals Logan wants Hickman players to be more decisive with the ball

By Josh Mosley Special to the Tribune

Sure, “players make plays” is the clichéd saying, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Hickman boys basketball coach Cray Logan recognizes that saying doesn’t always translate, which is why he’s striving for a new normal in his second season at the helm.

Player autonomy.

“One of the biggest things, really, was making sure that I did everything I could to make my players players,” Logan said. “Not as much worry about plays, even in the game situations, but allow them to know that they had the capability to score, no matter who they are. In a sense, helping them with the autonomy, at the same time, while developing their personal skill.”

Developing that sense of self-ownership within his team is key for Logan’s squad.

During a 10-14 initial campaign at his alma mater, he saw too much indecisiveness during key moments stall his team’s flow.

So, he spent the offseason preaching fundamentals and situational game recognition.

The hope being that these drills become so commonplace for Kewpie players that the likelihood of breakdown decreases.

“There were a lot of times whenever we got stuck in certain situations, there were a lot of times whenever I felt like maybe I was hoping for those decisions to be made just by themselves, but I realized that I did not give them enough autonomy,” Logan said. “And so, I really wanted to work on that this year as far as where instead of me having to make every play call, teaching them the things so they can make their own decisions.”

Decision-making will be key for a Hickman team that Logan admits isn’t rich in experience.

With a smattering of returners and players who were on the junior varsity team last season, the Kewpie lineup will

Hickman coach Cray Logan said he wants to give the Kewpies more autonomy on the court. He felt at times last season, his players were too indecisive instead of just reacting to the play on the floor. [DON SHRUBSHELL PHOTOS/ TRIBUNE]

The Hickman boys basketball team huddles before a game last season. With a roster short on experience, the Kewpies expect the starting lineup to be fluid at the start of the season.

be a fluid one to start.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys who are really vying for those top spots, as well, and

just simply because they’re trying to push varsity and they’re trying to get to whatever they think they can get

before the season even starts,” Logan said. “And it’s going to be a dogfight at the end.”

Hickman’s fortunes will

be guided by several returning guards and veteran post presences: junior guards Jaelin Grant (6-foot-1) and Tyrique Wright (5-11); sophomore guards Jarvis Jennings (5-11) and Nyles Naylor (5-9); and junior forward Jonathan Richmond (6-6). Logan also noted Jacek Kapela and Caillou Naylor as potential pointguard options along with Jennings and Nyles Naylor.

“What I’ve seen from them is their ability to handle the ball, their ability to quickly understand the offense that we’re running, and their ability to lead other people; that and their tenacity on defense,” Logan said. “You might see all four of them out there at the same time; I’m just going to have to assign a point guard whenever it comes time to. It’s that difficult, but it’s a great problem for me to have.”

Logan sees that core as another set of coaches and extensions of him on the court. Part of their respective offseason transformations, according to the coach, has been their willingness to bear the load of being resources for younger players.

“They understand that I’m going to hold them to a really high standard, and it’s not because — and I tell them this all the time — I want to be the controlling guy or the master of everything; that’s not what I’m about,” Logan explains.

“I’m about giving them the tools that they need to succeed. And I think that they now realize that there are certain tools that they want to improve on and certain tools that we as a coaching staff have to help them with that. It’s a mutual agreement, and I’m starting to see a lot of maturity through them, because they understand it.”

Putting the trust in his players to trust themselves, Logan hopes, will breed new habits and mind-sets going forward.

“One thing that we talk a ton about, or at least that they hear from me, I always say that, ‘Behavior becomes contagious, becomes culture,’” Logan said. “Behavior becomes contagious, becomes culture.”

Handling adversity will be key for Kewpies Hickman seeks to replace 80 percent of its offense from last year

By Josh Mosley Special to the Tribune

The grind of a basketball season means lots of things don’t always go according to plan. Rolling with the punches of a long campaign is one thing Hickman girls basketball coach Anna Rorvig is stressing upon her team — and herself — as she begins her second year on the sideline.

"As good as a plan that you think that you might have, as prepared as you might feel, things always change, and you have to be willing to adapt and to make adjustments to your plan,” Rorvig said. “That’s just like anything in life. … You have to be willing to adjust. … I don’t know if it was something that I learned, because I knew it as a teacher, but just, I had to be reminded of that as the season progressed.”

That might not sound like the tone of a coach coming off a 19-6 season in her first season leading her alma mater.

Eighty percent of the Kewpies' offense from last year graduated, meaning Rorvig will be putting young players in crucial spots.

With that will come adversity, which Rorvig hopes her players will learn to deal with as the season wears on.

“With young kids, that maybe have been super-successful on JV teams, on middle school teams, on summer teams, adversity’s going to hit this year,” Rorvig said. “How we respond to them will really be a test of how good we will be come February, because we’re going to have to grind and we’re going to have to

Hickman guard Precious Smith averaged three points per game as a role player last season. After the loss of a pair of all-state players, Smith will play a major role in the Kewpies’ fortunes this season.

[TIMOTHY TAI/TRIBUNE]

work really, really hard.”

While some new faces will be slipping into new slots, Hickman does return three veterans who will figure heavily into the direction and guidance of the Kewpies.

Senior guards Taylor Spencer (5-foot-4) and Precious Smith (5-3) will maneuver Hickman’s backcourt. Spencer is the team’s leading returning scorer at six points per game, while Smith tallied three points per contest last season.

Both were role players, but their experience could be a key in directing the Kewpies.

Up front, junior post player Emma Chapman (6-3) brings size and familiarity to a Hickman team that will need bits

of both. Chapman — an all-district pick last season — totaled 5.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per outing last season.

“She, her freshman and sophomore year, had primarily, particularly her freshman year, a role of rebounds, set screens,” Rorvig said. “Last year kind of started to get her feet wet a little bit with having an offensive role, but with the huge scoring roles that graduated last year, she is making a strong attempt to fill those shoes.”

Freshman Shannon Yockey (6-4) will also push for playing time in the Hickman frontcourt. Her emergence is symbolic of the extremes in

Hickman coach Anna Rorvig has three veteran players who will factor into the Kewpies’ season. It might be a rough start for the newlook Kewpies, but Rorvig said her team will be defined by how they respond. [SARAH BELL/SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE]

size and experience that exist on the team, which Rorvig feels could ultimately play to the Kewpies' advantage or to their detriment.

“Like I said, we can have a time on the floor where we have 5-9, 6-3, 6-4, and then there are times that we could go 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-9 and 5-11,” Rorvig said. “There’s different things that we can do with the two 6-footers on the team, so it’s just finding things that can work for different lineups that are on the floor.”

Rorvig expects Hickman to continue to hang its hat on a man-to-man defensive scheme, while figuring out optimal lineups and finding the right chemistry will be

evolving process on the offensive end.

And when setbacks in either of those areas occur, she just hopes her team is resilient enough to respond.

Adverse circumstances can befall young teams; how they internalize that adversity and react will be how the coach will measure success.

“For me, it’s continuing to talk to players that are trying to step into that role,” Rorvig said. “And tell them that failure’s going to happen, but I’m going to throw you right back in the fire, and that you can’t be fearful of making a mistake because you might sit me on the bench. You got to play through them.”

www.columbiatribune.com COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE Friday, November 17, 2017 B3

Bruins to use versatility to create mismatches Experienced backcourt expected to push the pace

By Tramel Raggs Special to the Tribune

Winning five state championships in 10 years while also sending countless players to high-major college basketball programs can make it tough to keep players focused on the task at hand.

But since the Bruins won their first state championship in 2008, coach Jill Nagel hasn’t allowed her players to become complacent. Nagel has developed Rock Bridge’s winning culture around the idea that a program’s successful past is only relevant today if the current team continues to build upon that legacy.

“There’s no complacency or preconceived notions that it just happens. That sort of mind-set doesn’t fit into what we do here,” Nagel said. “Our players know what it takes to put together a winning product.”

Heading into the 2017-18 season, the Bruins are looking to build on last season’s third-place finish in the state tournament, but accomplishing that feat won’t be easy.

After losing 6-foot-4-plus forwards Madison Treece and Avery Schroeder, one of the Bruins’ biggest strengths from a year ago has become their biggest weakness.

“When you have two 6-4 girls, you can take some things for granted,” senior Katey Klucking said. “Last year, you didn’t always have to box out your man or play the best defense because they had your back. But this season, doing the little things like always boxing out and playing sound defense are going to decide how our season goes.”

Rock Bridge hopes to overcome their height deficiencies by allowing their experienced backcourt to push the pace, resulting in easy transition buckets.

“Every night, we have to dictate our brand of basketball

on the other teams by making them run with us,” Nagel said.

To accommodate the uptempo style of play, assistant coach Dave Smith added CrossFit workouts to the team’s training regimen. The high intensity of the workouts should help the team avoid muscle fatigue as the season wears on.

“Basketball players don’t necessarily need to bulk up, but they do need to be strong in all facets,” Smith said. “So I looked into CrossFit, and it really fits the profile of what a basketball player needs in order to be successful in an up-tempo offense.”

One advantage of an undersized team is the opportunity for player versatility. That should allow the Bruins to play positionless basketball. As a result, opponents will struggle to match up with Rock Bridge defensively.

“Having so many kids that can play at multiple spots allows us to play positionless basketball, so we’re going to create some mismatches,” Nagel said. “But playing that style of basketball will also create mismatches for us on the other end, so it’ll be our job to find a way to disguise those.”

Senior Kanisha GreenMcClain’s return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament last year should assist with the team’s versatility. While only 5-5, Green-McClain’s toughness and high basketball IQ allow her to play all five positions at a high level.

“Missing last year with the ACL injury may have been a blessing in disguise, because I was able to really study the game and learn all of the positions,” Green-McClain said.

“Having that knowledge helps so much this year, because now I can play every position, but more importantly, I can be a leader for the younger players because I know everyone’s assignment on the floor.”

The Bruins begin their quest for Rock Bridge’s sixth state championship Nov. 24 during the Turkey Day Shootout at Kirkwood High School.

Rock Bridge guard Katey Klucking played a critical role in helping the Rock Bridge girls basketball team finish third in MSHSAA’s Class 5 tournament last season. [TIMOTHY TAI/TRIBUNE]

State championship on Bruins’ minds Despite attention, Rock Bridge stars focused on title run

By Tramel Raggs Special to the Tribune

Rock Bridge coach Jim Scanlon and a talented team return after a gut-wrenching loss to Kickapoo in the Class 5 quarterfinals last year. With Scanlon preaching a family atmosphere, the Bruins say they have great team chemistry. [TIMOTHY TAI PHOTOS/TRIBUNE]

Rock Bridge’s Dajuan Harris (10) takes the ball up the court during the boys Class 5 District 9 championship game against Blue Springs. Rock Bridge won 81-46 to clinch the district title.

For 35 years, Rock Bridge boys basketball coach Jim Scanlon has been driven by one thing — his desire for Rock Bridge High School to be the last team standing at the conclusion of the MSHSAA tournament.

While most coaches would be pleased with a résumé that includes multiple appearances in the state tournament, Scanlon’s competitive nature won’t allow that.

“Every year, I get a little more tired, but that burning desire to bring a state championship to this amazing community allows me to continually bring the same energy and passion that I had during my first season in Year 35,” Scanlon said.

After a heart-wrenching loss in the quarterfinals ended their season, the Bruins head into the 2017-18 season with a ton of confidence.

Much of the team’s confidence is related to the return of their junior trio of Division I prospects.

After highly successful summers on the AAU circuit, juniors Dajuan Harris, Jamonta Black and Isiaih Mosley carry Division I offers.

Despite their recent success and the attention that’s come with it, the young trio continues to put the team’s success over its own.

Black, Harris and Mosley “are all really humble guys that just want to help this team succeed anyway they can,” senior forward Drew Boswell said.

“They never try to make things about themselves — it’s always team first, which makes it fun

for everyone.”

But should Rock Bridge make a return to the state tournament this season, Black, Harris and Mosley will be the major causes. After the graduation of former Bruins Eysan Wiley, Jack Cooper and Justin Hajicek, the team will lean heavily on this junior trio to fill the leadership void on and off the court.

Another void the Bruins must address, is in the rebounding department. A year ago, Wiley appeared to have a GPS for the ball.

Wiley’s rebounding presence allowed teammates to focus on other facets of the game, but now that he’s graduated, it’s imperative that everyone steps up their rebounding.

“We were spoiled by having such a tremendous rebounder in Eysan, we used to just let him get our rebounds, but he’s gone now,” Scanlon said.

“Doesn’t matter how much we wish, he’s not walking through that door, so from now on, it has to be a collective group effort on the boards.”

While rebounding is a work in progress, team chemistry is not. Scanlon has always preached the importance of team chemistry and the art of treating your teammates like your brothers on and off the court. The Bruins have been receptive to his message.

“I think that our biggest strength is how close we are, we all hangout outside of school,” Mosley said. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses so we can kinda communicate on the court without actually saying anything.”

The Bruins begin their quest for the first boys basketball state championship in school history Nov. 30, when they take on Southeast Kansas City.

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Friday, November 17, 2017

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Bruins are three of a kind

Rock Bridge’s Isiaih Mosley averaged 20.6 points and 8.2 rebounds, was a Class 5 all-state honoree and a first-team Trib Team honoree. Of the Bruins’ standout junior trio, Mosley is the scorer. [TIMOTHY TAI PHOTOS/TRIBUNE]

Standout trio of juniors Harris, Black and Mosley aims for deep postseason run

By Cameron Teague Robinson Columbia Daily Tribune

Before you sit down with Rock Bridge juniors Jamonta Black, Dajuan Harris and Isiaih Mosley to have a conversation, there are three things you need to know.

Black is the talker of the group. By a wide margin.

If you bring up their middle school basketball games, prepare for stories about Harris and Mosley’s teams beating Black.

“I gave him 40,” Harris said referring to a game in the fifth grade.

“You didn’t give me 40, you gave them 40,” Black said in response. “I wasn’t good at that time.”

And they always refer to each other as brothers. They are inseparable.

They wear the same headbands on the court, they dance in the locker room after wins and, when nobody is watching, they work out in the gym together.

On March 17, they were at Mizzou Arena as Webster Groves and Kickapoo played in the Class 5 state semifinal. As they watched what turned out to be a classic game between two of the best teams in Class 5, one Webster Groves won 58-57, the trio couldn’t help but think that they should’ve been playing in that game.

“I was so mad, because we could’ve won that game,” Black said.

A week before, the Bruins lost to Kickapoo in the Class 5 state quarterfinal 71-64. After winning 22 games and 12 straight, their season ended, earlier than any of them believed it should have.

On the bus, heading back to Columbia, Black sent out one tweet.

“We’ll be back,” he tweeted.

It’s pinned to the top of his Twitter profile.

It’s an opinion the players share.

See TRIO, B5

Rock Bridge’s Jamonta Black has a combination of size, versatile skills and the ability to score at all three levels. Among the Bruins’ standout junior trio, Black is seen as a sharpshooter.

www.columbiatribune.com COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE Friday, November 17, 2017 B5

Rock Bridge’s Dajuan Harris has the ability to score, but he has more fun setting up his teammates. Among the Bruins’ standout junior trio, Harris is the playmaking point guard.

[TIMOTHY TAI/TRIBUNE]

TRIO Continued from B4

If another deep playoff run is going to happen, it’s something Harris, the competitive and playmaking point guard; Black, the shot-creating sharpshooter; and Mosely, the scoring machine, will help lead Rock Bridge to.

For them it’s not even a goal. It’s what they’ve worked for.

When it comes to their growth, it’s easy to refer to their jump shots or defensive ability.

Rock Bridge coach Jim Scanlon has seen something else this offseason.

“They are better leaders,” Scanlon said.

Early in their careers, the talent level was evident, but what they didn’t have, and what no freshman has, is the leadership piece.

That’s since changed.

With the loss of a few key seniors in Eysan Wiley, Justin Hajicek and Caleb Rhodenbaugh, Scanlon was looking for Harris, Black and Mosely to step up this offseason.

Scanlon didn’t have to say anything to the trio.

They just took over the role.

“They look older, stronger and they took over the leadership role,” Scanlon said. “They have all been pretty good and worked hard. They are on the right path. They just have to stay on it.”

That path has seen the trio go from freshmen who had some impact on the team, to sophomores who stood out. It wasn’t a rise that surprised Scanlon, per se, but it was something he thought the team needed.

“We needed them to achieve more, and they did,” Scanlon said. “I just want them to help us get

better and help us win games, but they had to take on pretty big roles with the team. And what they did, we needed every bit of it.

I think they came on more than I thought they would.”

Last season was the most fun Mosley has had playing basketball.

Mosley, after averaging 20.6 points and 8.2 rebounds, was a Class 5 all-state honoree and a first-team Trib Team honoree, but that’s not why he enjoyed it.

It was the experience he got to share with “his brothers,” and Wiley, his cousin.

Wiley, who has since graduated and plays basketball at William Jewel, was an all-state honoree and said he believed that with Black, Harris and Mosley on the floor last year the team was more efficient.

It’s hard to find numbers to back that up exactly, but when the team was completely healthy, Rock Bridge lost just two games.

Three of the Bruins' losses came back-to-back-toback with Harris injured early in the season.

“They always brought a lot of energy when they are on the court. The ball moves good when they are on the court,” Wiley said.

That is a byproduct of their chemistry.

Each can tell you what the others are best at and can fit into whatever role he needs to to complement his teammates.

Harris is an example. A quiet competitor, Harris isn’t known for his scoring ability, but it’s not because he can’t score. He doesn’t need to. As Rock Bridge’s best playmaker, the 6-foot-1 junior sets up Mosely, Black and anybody else he needs to.

“I love it. I don’t got to score a lot,” Harris said.

Added Black: “Dajuan makes the whole team better. He makes plays for everybody.”

Throughout the season, as Rock Bridge and the trio began to mesh, the Bruins continued to steamroll teams.

Entering the postseason, Rock Bridge had won 16 of 17 games. The only loss was a double-overtime loss to Park Hill South.

Rock Bridge’s first playoff game went down to the very last play.

Tied, and without the ball, against Blue Springs South with less than 20 seconds to play, the Bruins desperately needed somebody to make a play.

The Blue Springs South point guard began sizing up Harris. Mosely and Black were on the court, but there was no doubt in their mind.

Harris was going to make a play.

“I remember when Dajuan went up for a layup and the dude blocked it or something. I automatically knew he was getting it back,” Mosely said.

As the point guard began his drive to the basket, Black, who was behind Harris, said his mind immediately went to help defense. Before he could help, Harris took the ball.

“He did that little reach thing he always does and stole it,” Black said.

Harris was fouled and went to the free-throw line with 1.4 seconds left.

Mosely, who was under the basket in position for a rebound, said he could have just stood at half court.

“I knew those free throws were going in,” Mosley said.

Harris made the first, and Rock Bridge moved on.

The confidence those three have in each other is a big reason why they click so well on the floor.

In their minds, they play

with the best players in the state. That's not meant as disrespect to any other players, but that’s how they see each other.

And it makes late ingame situations easier.

"If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t be as good as I am right now," Black said. "I play against them every day and they are the best players in the state, so it makes me one of the best players in the state.”

The loss to Kickapoo was an emotional one for the entire Rock Bridge team.

Black didn’t even make it off the court before taking off his jersey and crying.

Harris and Mosely broke down in the locker room, as well.

What the sophomores saw as heartbreak, Wiley saw as a promising future for the Bruins.

“I remember thinking,

‘They are so young to be hurt like that,’” Wiley said.

“I remember my sophomore year doing the same thing at Jeff City. That shows how much better they are going to do better this year. They don’t want to go through that same experience.”

Oct. 30 was the first day of practice for teams across Missouri. Harris, Mosely and Black were back in their Rock Bridge uniforms, getting shots up before practice.

Each had an impressive summer. Mosely and Harris played for Mokan on the Nike EYBL circuit, and Black played for Gateway on the Adidas circuit.

Each has been in talks with Division I colleges.

Harris picked up an offer from Tulsa and has interest from Missouri, South Dakota and others.

Mosley has offers from

Slam dunk.

Missouri and Tulsa and has interest from Illinois, Virginia, Kansas State and others. Black has not picked up an offer, but has interest from Western Illinois, South Dakota and others.

Right now, they aren’t thinking about the college offers, because if you look up in the Rock Bridge gym, there are a lot of statechampionship banners, but none from the boys basketball program.

That's one more thing you will learn when you sit down and talk with Harris, Black and Mosely.

They want to hang a banner for Rock Bridge, which means you will find them in the gym working.

They have unfinished business to attend to. crobinson@columbiatribune.com573-815-1781

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B6

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New-look Trailblazers will rely on veterans With smaller lineup, guards Walker and Berrey will lead the charge

By Cameron La Fontaine Special to the Tribune

After spending its last few seasons leaning on solid inside play from tall players, it’s a new season for the Tolton girls basketball team — and one that comes with new philosophies.

Tolton lost 6-foot-5 senior Michaela Wright, who dominated for the Trailblazers while earning a scholarship to play at the University of TexasArlington. Tolton also lost 6-2 center Laura Elfrink. Now, the team’s tallest player stands at 5-10.

“When you lose that size, it kind of changes how you run your offense and tweaks what you’re able to do,” fifth-year coach Curt Riley said. “That’s what’s been fun for me as a coach for 35 years, you don’t just do the same thing year after year, and this year we’re not as big as we have been.”

But the loss of Wright and the height advantage that came with her doesn’t faze Riley. Returning senior guards Haleigh Berrey and Christina Walker will lead the charge.

“Christina Walker is one of the better guards in the area.

She’ll be a fourth-year starter for us,” he said. “This will be Haleigh’s second year starting. Last year, she was an all-district guard for us. She had 118 assists to 40 turnovers last year, which was the best in the area.”

Riley said he’ll lean on Berrey and Walker to mentor the young players. In Tolton’s practice Nov. 8, he told the younger players to listen to the seniors, because they know how he wants things done.

Berrey and Walker are up for the responsibility.

“At first when I was a freshman, Coach Riley didn’t have to rely on me, but over the years, he’s trusted me to be a leader and be a go-to player,” Walker said. “This year feels a lot different being a senior, but

I expect Haleigh and I to be able to take over this season.”

Other key players for the Trailblazers this year include juniors Emily Gall and Amber Wright as well as a highly skilled freshman in Emma Barnes.

“We’ll probably do a lot of four out, one in with the guards we have,” Riley said. “Amber is about 5-10, and she’ll be an inside-outside kid for us. The way our kids shoot the ball and as hard as they work, we’re going to be able to do some things schematically to win big games.”

Riley said the 25 girls that came out for the team are the most he’s seen as a coach at Tolton. He added that 16 or 17 of them were freshmen.

“This team is really fun,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed working with them every single day, because every single mistake they’re making, they’re making it going 100 miles an hour. As a coach, you don’t like the mistakes, but you can live with them as long as they’re working hard and learning from them, and they’re doing a great job of that.”

Berrey said Riley’s somewhat intense coaching and teaching style could be a rude awakening for the freshmen, but she said she’s appreciated how its molded her and expects the same for Tolton’s young players.

“He’s a great coach, he’s like my second dad,” Berrey said. “He’ll yell at you, but he always gives you a hug right after. It does really push you to be a better athlete on the floor and a better person off the floor.”

Riley said his team’s defense is ahead of schedule as they focus on a more aggressive style of play that leads to more run-outs.

“Our philosophy this year is going to be transition layups, 3-pointers and free throws,” he said.

A 21-7 season last year for Tolton ended with a Class 3 District 9 semifinal loss to Southern Boone, for the second straight year. The Trailblazers

Christina Walker is a fourth-year starter for the Tolton girls basketball team. The guard finished with 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in her junior season. The Trailblazers will feature a smaller lineup after the graduation of 6-foot-4 center Micaela Wright, but Tolton is planning to use the speed of its smaller guards. [TRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS]

Tolton’s Head Coach Curt Riley shouts from the sideline during the game against Hallsville on Jan. 11. Tolton fell in the district semifinals to Southern Boone.

start the season at Hermann on Monday.

“It’s early, but we’ve got a chance to be really good. Our

kids are working really hard, we’re starting to shoot the ball better, handle the ball better.

It’s going to be an interesting

four months. We’re going to try to be the last team standing,” Riley chuckled, “just like every year.”

Coban Porter joins young core of Trailblazers

By Cameron La Fontaine Special to the Tribune

Just two years ago, Tolton’s young, second-year coach Jeremy Osborne coached the Trailblazers to its first MSHSAA title. Of course, he had the help of a 6-foot-9 junior forward by the name of Michael Porter Jr. and a 6-foot-10 big man in his brother Jontay.

After that season, the Porters left to play at Nathan Hale in Washington, with plans to attend the University of Washington. That all has changed, and the two are now about to start their freshman years at Missouri, with Michael coming in as the nation’s top recruit and Jontay re-classifying to play up a year.

Now, Tolton has another Porter on its roster: Michael and Jontay’s 6-3 brother, Coban Porter. Despite Porter being a sophomore in his first year at Tolton, Osborne said Porter will start at point guard for the Trailblazers.

“He’s a great player in his own right,” Osborne said. “He’s not Michael or Jontay, for people expecting to see a 6-foot-10 kid like them, he’s not. He’s a point guard. He’s different, and he’s good in his own right.

I think what he brings both offensively and defensively is a lot of energy, very high skill level. He’s a very smart basketball player. I look forward to big things from him.”

Tolton finished 15-10 last season, falling to Southern Boone in a district semifinal match-up. Osborne played a lot of freshmen on a varsity team led by senior scorer Isaiah Wilson, who started for Tolton during its championship run in 2016 and now plays for University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

Wilson was the only senior Tolton lost over the offseason. Despite losing a powerful

Tolton coach Jeremy Osborne played a number of freshmen in the varsity season last year. That has enabled the Trailblazers to build a strong core.

[TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO]

leader in Wilson, Osborne said his group this year has a strong core that will be able to hold each other accountable.

“It’s a funny situation this year,” he said. “Last year, everybody looked to Isaiah to be the leader, and he had that burden every single night because we was playing with a lot of young guys. Having all these guys back this year is really going to help in terms of spreading the responsibility.

These guys work really well together as a unit in terms of chemistry and cohesiveness, so I think it’s a good thing that we don’t necessarily have an

individual leader.”

Other key players for Tolton this year include returning starters in Beau Washer and Matt Boyer as well as seniors Nick Beckett, Aidan Ogle and Isaiah Johnson.

Osborne likes what he sees from his team in terms of learning the concepts and a high team chemistry so early in the season.

As for expectations for the year, he doesn’t want the team to get too far ahead of itself.

“We’re process-oriented, so everything we do is intentional.

There’s not necessarily an end game in mind, whether we want to win a state title or what,

we’re just going to trust the process and do what we need to do every day to get better,” he said.

Osborne said that this year’s team is different in how many sophomores will be contributing. While the team has a solid group of seniors, it will also lean on play from sophomores like Porter and Jonny Berndt, who have experience already at the varsity level.

The Trailblazers could also face some challenges with size, but Osborne said the smaller roster better fits the aggressive, run-and-gun style of play they want this season.

With Tolton’s season opener against Grandview (Hillsboro) at the Norm Stewart Classic looming Dec. 2, Osborne is looking for his team to get better at rebounding and finishing possessions.

Without explicitly setting goals, Osborne said this year’s Tolton team could be great.

“We know that we’re going to have a shot at a district title,” he said. “Once you get to the playoffs, everybody knows, anything can happen. But we’re confident in our guys and like the work ethic we’re seeing so far.”

www.columbiatribune.com COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE Friday, November 17, 2017 B7

Spartans look to continue momentum Four seniors return to lead defending district champion

By Zach Zook Special to the Tribune

The Battle Spartans basketball team is coming off quite a roller coaster of a season.

Last year, the first in coach Brian Meny’s tenure, the Spartans got off to a slow start, losing their first five games.

However, by season’s end, with Meny's culture in place, Battle was playing much better, finishing the season with a 12-10 record.

“I think it was new getting used to me, the culture and changing things,” Meny said. “We have a unique positive coaching philosophy that we go by where academics is No. 1 and family culture is in there.”

The family aspect — along with trying to build success stories off the court — has been a point of emphasis for Meny since he took over.

“We don’t want to just chase talent. We want kids that will produce on and off the court and produce later on in life,” Meny said.

While it took a bit of time to materialize, the Spartans’ turnaround was quite miraculous. Seeded third going into the postseason, Battle defeated Holt then Jefferson City on its way to the Class 5 District 8 championship.

It’s easy to wonder what could have been had Battle not run into the eventual state champion — Webster Groves, a team that had four division one prospects — in the next round.

If the Spartans are able to keep the majority of that momentum going into the 2017-18 campaign, they should be a tough out come postseason time.

With four seniors returning, Battle figures to have

Jarel Hyler (35) pulled down nearly 10 rebounds per game on his way to all-district honors as a junior. [TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO]

the ability to do just that.

“All of them are really good young men,” Meny said.

Battle will return Meny’s son, senior Trae Meny, who became Battle’s first Class 5 all-state selection last season as a junior.

“That set a good baseline goal for this next season and where we know we can be,” the senior said of last season’s progress.

They’ll also get back Jarel Hyler, a 6-foot-2 post player who earned all-district honors for his tenacious rebounding ability. Hyler averaged nearly 10 rebounds in 2016-17.

“We try to have good positioning to box out really well and to have that mentality to go get the ball,” Hyler said.

Battle figures to have a good mix of veterans and youth, however, going forward. Sophomore Maricus Grant figures to

play a large role as a 6-1 guard. Additionally, Battle will be integrating Cachao Gianquinto, a freshman guard who already stands 6-2.

“We’re going to put the best kids out there, and it doesn’t matter your age,” Brian Meny said. “We have enough depth to play eight or nine deep this year, and with our high tempo and high pace, we need that.”

The Spartans will try to get off to a quicker start this season, but it won’t be easy as they’ll take on Rock Bridge and Jefferson City on the road before Christmas.

“Last year, we would start some games slow, and, this year, we’re trying not to start slow. We want to come out firing and clicking right away,” Trae Meny said.

Battle kicks off its season Dec. 2 against Raytown South in the Norm Stewart Classic.

Battle girls re-establishing an identity

Battle’s Trae Meny led the Spartans in scoring 21 times last season and averaged 17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists.[DON SHRUBSHELL/TRIBUNE]

In his first year at the helm of the Battle boys basketball team, coach Brian Meny led the Spartans to a 12-10 record and a district championship. [TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO]

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Despite loss of eight seniors, Spartans grow into tight-knit group

columbiatribune.com

THE COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE PRESENTS

By Zach Zook Special to the Tribune

The Battle girls basketball team has undergone quite a bit of change since the last time Columbians saw the Spartans.

In terms of wins and losses, the Spartans finished 11-15, losing their Class 5 District 8 to Holt. Since then, however, the team has changed a lot. Battle has said goodbye to eight seniors, a sizable amount for a 21-person roster.

“With so many people leaving at one time, I think it gave us a chance to reestablish our identity as a program with not just how we look on the court but off the court, as well,” veteran coach Michael Fernandez said. “We have a lot of team chemistry going on right now with the older kids mixing with the younger ones.”

The offseason apparently went swimmingly for the Spartans, who have grown to be a a tight-knit team.

“We are definitely a very close team, and we can easily work together, so I think that’ll help a lot on the court,” senior leader Trinity McCoy said.

The Battle girls are young and undersized, which typically isn’t a plus in any sport. But Fernandez believes that they could turn it into an advantage.

“We get up and down the court, rebound and outlet and go before the defense can get set,” Fernandez said. “We have to be able to shoot the ball from the perimeter to counter our lack of size in the post. My

Battle’s Kendra Mackey (35) averaged 6.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Mackey is expected to transition from the post to the wing this year. [TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO]

style of coaching is that anyway, so that won’t be too much of a change for them, I don’t think.”

The running Spartans will be tough to defend, especially for larger, slower teams. The youth part of it is coming along, too, but the older girls don’t seem worried about their additional responsibilities.

“It’ll just be a little different trying to catch the young girls up on our plays and stuff, so we’ll just have to work harder on catching them up to get to where we were at the end of last year,” said junior Kendra Mackey, who will be making a transition from the post to the wing this

season in preparation for a potential collegiate career.

“Last year, we were both on varsity, so this year, it’s kind of the same but just having a bigger hand in it,” McCoy added.

Fernandez believes in his team’s ability to rise to the task this year, as well.

“They’ve done a good job of embracing that role and understanding that this is their time now and this is going to be their legacy that they’ll leave for the program and the school,” he said.

The girls will start their season at Logan-Rogersville on Nov. 21 and make their home debut against crosstown rival Hickman on Nov. 30.

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Friday, November 17, 2017

www.columbiatribune.com COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE

H I C K M A N B OY S

R O C K B R I D G E B OY S

T O LT O N B OY S

B AT T L E B OY S

Go Kewpies!

Go Bruins!

Go Trailblazers!

Go Spartans!

UNIVERSITY SUBARU

UNIVERSITY SUBARU

UNIVERSITY SUBARU

UNIVERSITY SUBARU

Nov. 18 vs. Jackson Nov. 27 vs. TBA# Nov. 29 vs. TBA# Dec. 1 vs. TBA# Dec. 2 vs. Liberty North$ Dec. 6 at Smith-Cotton Dec. 9 at Chaminade Dec. 12 at Jefferson City Dec. 15 vs. Blair Oaks Dec. 19 at Chaminade Dec. 22 at Tolton Dec. 28 vs. TBA% Dec. 29 vs. TBA% Dec. 30 vs. TBA% Jan. 2 at Battle Jan. 16 vs. TBA^ Jan. 18 vs. TBA^ Jan. 19 vs. TBA^ Jan. 20 vs. Parkway South& Jan. 30 vs. SLUH Feb. 6 vs. Jefferson City Feb. 9 vs. Helias Feb. 13 at Rock Bridge Feb. 16 vs. Battle Feb. 23 vs. Ft. Zumwalt North Feb. 26-March 1 District tournament March 7-16 State tournament #— Troy Tournament $— Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College % — US Bank Holiday Tournament in Rolla ^— CW Stessman Invitational in Lake St. Louis & — MFA Oil Shootout at Mizzou Arena

2:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA 6 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA 8:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

TBA TBA 6:20 p.m.

7 p.m.

8 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

TBA TBA

Nov. 30 at Southeast Kansas City Dec. 3 vs. Vianney# Dec. 7 vs. Miller Career Academy Dec. 9 vs. TBA$ Dec. 15 at Desmet Dec. 16 at Smith-Cotton Dec. 19 vs. Battle Jan. 2 vs. TBA% Jan. 4 vs. TBA% Jan. 5 vs. TBA% Jan. 6 vs. TBA% Jan. 10 vs. TBA^ Jan. 11 vs. TBA^ Jan. 12 vs. TBA^ Jan. 13 vs. TBA^ Jan. 15 vs. TBA& Jan. 17 vs. TBA& Jan. 18 vs. TBA& Jan. 23 at East (KC) Jan. 26 vs. Hogan Prep Jan. 30 at Jefferson City Feb. 2 vs. Lincoln Prep Feb. 6 vs. Northeast Kansas City Feb. 9 at Hazelwood Central Feb. 13 vs. Hickman Feb. 16 at Rockhurst Feb. 23 vs. Catholic Feb. 26-March 1 District tournament March 7-16 State tournament #— Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College $— Ozark Mountain Shootout in Springfield % — Warrenton Tournament ^— Smith-Cotton Tournament in Sedalia & — North Kansas City Invite in Kansas City

7 p.m.

4 p.m.

7 p.m.

TBA 7 p.m.

9 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA 7 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA

Dec. 2 vs. Grandview-Hilsboro# Dec. 6 at St. Francis Borgia Dec. 12 at Blair Oaks Dec. 22 vs. Hickman Dec. 28-30 vs. TBA$ Jan. 2 at Sacred Heart Jan. 4-6 vs. TBA% Jan. 9 at Versailles Jan. 12 vs. Barstow Jan. 19 vs. Sikeston Jan. 20 vs. Battle^ Jan. 23 vs. Christian Jan. 25 at Macon Jan. 26 at Republic Jan. 27 vs. Brookfield Academy& Jan. 29 vs. Transportation & Law Feb. 14 vs. Jefferson City Feb. 16 vs. Helias Feb. 17 at St. James Academy (Kan.) Feb. 26-March 1 District tournament March 7-16 State tournament #— Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College $— Machens Great 8 Shootout in Jefferson City % — Houlihan's Invitational in Springfield ^— MFA Breaktime Shootout at Mizzou Arena & — Quincy Shootout in Quincy, Ill.

8 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA 6 p.m.

TBA 8 p.m.

7 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA 7 p.m.

6 p.m.

6 p.m.

12 p.m.

5 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

TBA TBA

Dec. 2 vs. Raytown South# Dec. 5 vs. Missouri Military Academy Dec. 7 vs. Southern Boone Dec. 14 at Quincy Dec. 16 vs. TBA$ Dec. 19 at Rock Bridge Dec. 22 vs. Knox County% Dec. 26 vs. TBA^ Dec. 27 vs. TBA^ Dec. 28 vs. TBA^ Dec. 29 vs. TBA^ Jan. 2 vs. Hickman Jan. 5 vs. Troy Buchanon Jan. 8 vs. TBA& Jan. 10 vs. TBA& Jan. 12 vs. TBA& Jan. 19 at Smith-Cotton Jan. 20 vs. Tolton* Jan. 22 vs. TBA@ Jan. 24 vs. TBA@ Jan. 27 vs. TBA@ Feb. 9 at Sumner Feb. 10 at Roosevelt Feb. 13 at Camdenton Feb. 14 vs. Montgomery County Feb. 16 at Hickman Feb. 22 at Miller Career Academy Feb. 26-March 1 District tournament March 7-16 State tournament #— Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College $— 2017 National Guard Shootout in Jefferson City % — Rumble on the River in Quincy, Ill. ^— Linn Invitational & — Rotating 8 Invitational * — MFA Shootout at Mizzou Arena @ — Clinton Tournament

12 am 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

8 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

6 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA 8:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA 7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA 6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

TBA TBA

HICKMAN GIRLS

ROCK BRIDGE GIRLS

T O LT O N G I R L S

B AT T L E G I R L S

Go Kewpies!

Go Bruins!

Go Trailblazers!

Go Spartans!

UNIVERSITY SUBARU

UNIVERSITY SUBARU

UNIVERSITY SUBARU

UNIVERSITY SUBARU

Nov. 28 vs. TBA# Nov. 30 vs. TBA# Dec. 2 vs. TBA# Dec. 3 vs. Washington$ Dec. 13 vs. Smith-Cotton Dec. 21 at Chillicothe Dec. 28 vs. Blue Springs South% Dec. 29 vs. TBA% Dec. 30 vs. TBA% Jan. 4 at St. Joseph's Academy Jan. 6 vs. Republic Jan. 9 at Tolton Jan. 11 at Waynesville Jan. 16 vs. Parkway North Jan. 18 at Southern Boone Jan. 25 at Rock Bridge Jan. 29 vs. TBA^ Jan. 31 vs. TBA^ Feb. 2 vs. TBA^ Feb. 8 at Helias Feb. 10 vs. St. Joseph Lafayette Feb. 12 vs. Battle Feb. 16 at Staley Feb. 20 vs. Kickapoo Feb. 22 at Jefferson City Feb. 26-March 1 District tournament March 7-16 State tournament #— Troy Tournament $— Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College % — State Farm Holiday Hoops Invite in Jefferson City ^— Northlands Classic in Kansas City

4 p.m.

TBA TBA 2 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

TBA TBA 6 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

8 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

8 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA 7:30 p.m.

4 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA

Nov. 24 vs. Kirkwood# 3:30 p.m.

Nov. 25 vs. TBA# TBA Dec. 1 vs. Hazelwood Central$ 6 p.m.

Dec. 5 at Francis Howell 7 p.m.

Dec. 9 at St. Joseph Lafayette 4 p.m.

Dec. 11 vs. TBA% TBA Dec. 12 vs. TBA% TBA Dec. 14 vs. TBA% TBA Dec. 15 vs. TBA% TBA Dec. 20 vs. Battle 8 p.m.

Dec. 29 vs. Canton McKinley (Ohio)^ 3 p.m.

Dec. 30 vs. Scott (Ky.)^ 3 p.m.

Jan. 2 vs. Ozark 6 p.m.

Jan. 6 at Nixa 3 p.m.

Jan. 15 vs. TBA& TBA Jan. 18 vs. TBA& TBA Jan. 20 vs. TBA& TBA Jan. 25 vs. Hickman 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 30 vs. TBA* TBA Jan. 31 vs. TBA* TBA Feb. 1 vs. TBA* TBA Feb. 2 vs. TBA* TBA Feb. 6 vs, Whitfield 6 p.m.

Feb. 8 at Jefferson City 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs, Miller Career Academy 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 20 at Blue Springs 7 p.m.

Feb. 22 vs, Helias 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 26-March 1 at District tournament TBA March 6-15 State tournament TBA #— Turkey Day Shootout at St. Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis $— Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College % — People's Bank Holiday Classic in Sullivan ^— Bragging Rights Classic in Cincinnati & — Truman Tournament in Independence *— Webster Winter Challenge in Webster Groves

Nov. 20 at Hermann Dec. 2 vs. Principia# Dec. 5 at Owensville Dec. 8 vs. O'Fallon Christian Dec. 9 vs. Fox$ Dec. 16 at Macon Dec. 26-29 vs. TBA% Dec. 30 vs. Warrenton^ Jan. 2 at Sacred Heart Jan. 6 vs. Trenton& Jan. 9 vs. Hickman Jan. 11 vs. Blair Oaks Jan. 13 vs. Hartville Jan. 16-21 vs. TBA* Jan. 25 at Hallsville Jan. 27 vs. Osage@ Jan. 29-Feb. 2 vs. TBA! Feb. 6 at Battle Feb. 13 vs. Helias Feb. 26-March 1 District tournament March 7-16 State tournament #— Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College $— MAC Rotary Shootout in Park Hills % — Duchesne Tournament in St. Charles ^— MRMC Shootout in Moberly & — MVCA Hall of Fame Game in Benton * — Macon Tournament @ — Camdenton Shootout ! — St. Francis Borgia Tournament in Washington

7:30 p.m.

10 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

3 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA 5 p.m.

6 p.m.

11:30 a.m.

8 p.m.

8 p.m.

1 p.m.

TBA 7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA

Nov. 21 at Logan-Rogerville Dec. 2 vs. Waynesville# Dec. 5 vs. Troy Buchanon Dec. 8 vs. Timberland Dec. 14 vs. Camdenton Dec. 16 vs. Smith-Cotton$ Dec. 20 at Rock Bridge Dec. 27 vs. TBA% Dec. 28 vs. TBA% Dec. 29 vs. TBA% Jan. 5 vs. Marshall Jan. 6 at Mexico Jan. 9 vs. TBA^ Jan. 10 vs. TBA^ Jan. 12 vs. TBA^ Jan. 16 at Blair Oaks Jan. 24 at Helias Jan. 29 vs. TBA& Jan. 31 vs. TBA& Feb. 3 vs. TBA& Feb. 6 vs. Tolton Feb. 9 vs. Ozark Feb. 12 at Hickman Feb. 15 at Jefferson City Feb. 19 vs. Eldon Feb. 26-March 1 District tournament March 7-16 State tournament #— Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College $— W-K Shootout in Sedalia % — Duchesne Holiday Tournament in St. Charles ^— California Tournament & — Southern Boone Classic in Ashland

7:30 p.m.

4 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

8 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

8 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA 7 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA 7:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA

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