CCS hopes that experience counts

With five seniors, Eagles aim to win CAL championship

BY MICHAEL LYNE | West Central Tribune

WILLMAR — Boasting its largest senior class in program history, the Community Christian School Eagles will look to take home the Christian Athletic League Conference championship.

“Our goal is to win the conference this year,” Eagles head coach Aaron Reid said. “Having five seniors on the team with a school our size, that should put us in a good position as long as we execute well and play together as a team.”

The Eagles are coming off a 202122 season where they took third place at the CAL tournament and finished with a 14-8 record.

CCS has already played one game in its 2022-23 season, winning 65-44 over Victory Christian on Nov. 18. A team without any juniors, the CCS senior class will look to blend with four sophomores and five freshmen in hopes of carrying over their success from 2021-22.

“It’s really exciting to be a part of this group,” Reid said. “They’ve meant a lot to the school. They mean a lot to the classes coming up behind them. They’ve been a part of the program — for a lot of them — since they were in fourth grade.”

Four of CCS’ seniors — point guard Will Chapin, forward/center Jonny Reid, guard Mark Arnold and Ben Reinertson — return to the team’s starting lineup.

CCS Eagles senior Jonny Reid passes the ball to senior teammate Mark Arnold during a game against the Victory Christian Knights on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, at Community Christian School.

Michael Lyne / West Central Tribune

Reid and Chapin are players to watch. Both are chasing 1,000 career points. Reid needs 216 more points and Chapin needs 388.

Standing at 6-feet-6, Reid paced the Eagles’ offense with 373 points and led the team with 213 rebounds. He averaged 17 points, 9.7 assists and 2.8 assists per game before earning all-conference and all-tournament team honors.

CCS Eagles senior Will Chapin passes the ball during a game against the Victory Christian Knights on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, at Community Christian School.

Michael Lyne / West Central Tribune

Chapin is coming off an allconference junior season where he ranked second on the Eagles in scoring with 244 points on 35.5% shooting from the field. He averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game, leading the team with 106 assists and 60 steals.

“Both of those guys are coming into this season hungry,” Reid said. “They want to go out on a high note. They both have goals of trying to hit 1,000 points this season. They want to win our conference and get some postseason opportunities, so they’re excited about this year.” ◀