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BASKETBALL PREVIEW •
kpcnews.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013
Prairie Heights striving for more BY KEN FILLMORE kfillmore@kpcmedia.com
BRUSHY PRAIRIE — With a leading player and an experienced supporting cast, the Prairie Heights boys basketball team could be one of the top teams in the Northeast Corner Conference. But the Panthers will need to grow in many areas to be where they want to be. “We have a great core. We have a lot of experience coming back,” seventh-year Heights coach Brett Eltzroth said. “But last year in one phrase was we were consistent at inconsistency. We learned a lot of hard lessons. “I think all the guys had pretty good summers. We’re coming in with more of a purpose in everything we do. The older kids are teaching the younger kids. I’m seeing a lot more fire than we did last year. “We’re going to have to pay a price,” Eltzroth added. “We want to push the ball and take quick shots. But we have to find more ways to win, and that will happen with maturity.” The Panthers were 11-12 last season, and in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Northeast Corner Conference at 6-4. Seven players return from that team who played in at least 19 games last season. Five of this year’s seven seniors played regular varsity roles for Prairie Heights last season: forward Zach Shepard and guards Kyler West, Dylan Stayner, Corey Johnson and Bobby Blum. This battle-tested group of seniors will give plenty of support to top Panther player Jacob Heller, a 6-foot-3 junior forward. Heller averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game last season. He shot nearly 50 percent from the field (142-285), including 36 percent from three-point range (20-55), and made 70 percent of his free throws. He attempted more free throws (196) than his teammates combined to make
KEN FILLMORE
The 2013-14 Prairie Heights High School varsity boys basketball team: front row, from left, manager Tara Little, Tanner Terry, Corey Johnson, Austin Penick, Kyler West and manager Kyleigh North. Middle row, assistant coach Aaron Modert, Bobby Blum, Dylan
(155) last season. “Jacob has done a lot for us,” Eltzroth said. “He’s very skilled. He works at it a lot. More importantly, he’s more mature.” Shepard’s basketball ability is catching up to his prowess in the pole vault and on the gridiron. The 6-2 All-State pole vaulter and two-time All-State honorable mention defensive back in football has developed his offensive skills greatly over the offseason and very much holds his own defensively in the post. He averaged 7.5 points and four rebounds per game last season. He also shot 59 percent from the field (65-111). West runs the point and averaged 6.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest last year. He
was second on the team in assists with 39. Stayner plays bigger than 5-8 and averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 boards per game last season. Eltzroth wants his team to not miss a beat on the occasions that Heller is on the bench. He’s looking for more go-to guys to develop. “It’s been fun juggling different lineups. They’ve been thrown into a mix of different situations. We have the potential to have a great supporting cast,” Eltzroth said. “We want people to be a spark off the bench. That is something that has died out some in today’s basketball. “We want to focus on the team on the floor and be a team of the moment.” Senior forwards Levi
Stayner, Cassten Everidge, Cody Bachelor and head coach Brett Eltzroth. Back row, assistant coach Tyler Terry, Levi Tuckerman, Spencer Lake, Austin Beiswanger, Jacob Heller and Zach Shepard.
Tuckerman and Spencer Lake will play key roles for the Panthers. Junior guard Cassten Everidge is another letterwinner returning. Sophomore guards Cody Bachelor and Austin Penick are coming off good offseasons and could potentially play key varsity roles. Juniors Austin Beiswanger and Tanner Terry will split time between the varsity and junior varsity teams. A new mix of teams have been added to the Panther schedule after getting out of the Carroll Shootout between the holidays. PH has been in that tournament the past couple of years and it has been largely made up of Class 4A schools. The shootout games have been replaced with Bronson
(Mich.), DeKalb and Woodlan. Eltzroth was an assistant coach for the Barons. Heights travels to Michigan to take on the Vikings on Dec. 17, hosts the Warriors on Jan. 21 and heads to DeKalb on Feb. 4. “It’s great to be talked about in the mix (at the top of the NECC). But we have work to do and have to put people in the right spots. We need to have better quality possessions,” Eltzroth said. “It’s always been our goal to play our best at the end of the year.” The Panthers start their season on Nov. 30 at Garrett. Then they begin NECC play six days later on Dec. 6 at home against Fairfield.
Lakewood Park in rebuilding mode BY PHIL FRIEND pfriend@kpcmedia.com
AUBURN — Chad Hibbard may have picked the wrong year to take over the Lakewood Park Christian boys basketball program. With the Panthers’ top nine scorers from last year’s 17-6 team having departed the program (eight to graduation, one to transfer), Hibbard and LPC are in full rebuilding mode this season. But Hibbard — who has been an assistant at Lakewood Park the past four years — prefers to think his team is reloading instead. “I know a lot of people, with all that we lost, probably aren’t expecting a lot from us,” Hibbard said. “Our soccer team surprised a lot of people, and I know basketball is a different animal. But I think that gave some confidence to our guys that, even though some big names are gone, they can step up and not see this season as rebuilding. We have a core group that can still be very competitive and challenge some teams.” Hibbard replaces Marc Davidson, who left to take over at Blackhawk Christian. Before coming to the rural Auburn school five years ago, Hibbard was a junior varsity/assistant coach at Elkhart Christian for three years and also spent five years as a junior varsity/assistant coach in New Jersey. This is his first varsity head coaching job.
PHIL FRIEND
The 2013-14 Lakewood Park Christian boys basketball team. Front row (left to right): Noah Gardner, Trevor Day, Bradey Gerke, Adam Owens, Dylan Tatman, Tyler Caulk and Drake Donaldson. Back row: Assistant
“It has always been a goal of mine to coach and ultimately become a varsity coach,” Hibbard said. “I’m very excited and thankful.” Hibbard’s first task will be to find scorers, with 97 percent of last year’s offensive production no longer on the team. The Panthers’ top returning scorer is 225-pound senior center Andrew Johnson, who averaged 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game while seeing action in only nine contests last year. “We’re going to need him to throw his weight around and bang with people down low,” Hibbard said. “He’ll handle the responsibility of playing with the bigger centers we play.”
The returning player who played in the most games last year is senior guard/ forward Hunter Yoder (0.9 ppg in 13 games last year). “We need him to be great for us,” Hibbard said. “He is a phenomenal athlete. We call him a freak athlete, the type of guy that could play all three positions if necessary.” The only other returning player that saw varsity time last year is senior point guard Noah Gardner (0.7 ppg in seven games). “You can tell he’s put a lot of time in offensively and we’ll need him to direct things and just make good decisions, whether it’s shooting, driving or passing,” Hibbard said.
coach Wes Rowlader, Keegan Fetters, Jared Gerke, Hunter Yoder, Andrew Johnson, Quinton Taylor, Austin Mann, Brock Hoover, Will Hathaway and head coach Chad Hibbard.
There are three other players competing for spots in the starting lineup: junior Jared Gerke, junior Drake Donaldson (a transfer from Carroll) and junior Austin Mann. “Jared’s incredibly fast, an incredible athlete and has a tremendous motor,” Hibbard said. “He’s a phenomenal competitor and we can put him on anyone and he’ll do a great job. “Drake will play some point, some shooting guard but he’ll come right in and make an impact on our team. He’s a good athlete that can shoot the ball and handle it well. Austin has a very high potential to be a big impact player for us as well in terms of scoring on
both ends of the floor.” Rounding out the varsity rotation are sophomore Bradey Gerke and senior Tyler Caulk. “Brady’s got all the athleticism you want from a varsity player,” Hibbard said. “He’s a tremendous slasher, a great penetrator and important in our pressing.” Other underclassmen with the potential to crack the varsity rotation are junior Dylan Tatman and a handful of freshmen and sophomores: Keegan Fetters, Brock Hoover, Quinton Taylor and Will Hathaway. “As the season progresses, I do believe some have the potential to help us,” Hibbard said. “I do
feel like there’s some good, young talent that’s coming up.” Despite all the roster turnover, Hibbard and the Panthers have no intention of changing their style of play from their full-court press attack. Hibbard coached the highly successful JV team the past couple years, and believes that could lead to some rewards this season. “The varsity level’s very different but we’re going to be very athletic, quick and fast,” Hibbard said. “There’s no question that, defensively, we’re going to have to be very, very good to be in games at the end. Offensively, it’s not that we’re not capable, but we don’t have tremendous amounts of knockdown shooters. “I’m hopeful that it won’t take too many games to get that experience and feel comfortable but we have a bunch of guys that will give 100 percent effort and be scrappy and help us overcome some of those issues.” Hibbard said the team’s grittiness and athleticism on defense is the team’s best strength. “We will get after it with people and try to turn people over and speed up the game,” Hibbard said. “We don’t give up. We will keep going until the end. That’ll be huge for us.” Lakewood Park opens its season at home Tuesday against Hamilton.
TRINE WOMEN: Amy Newell playing important role for the Thunder in another sport besides softball FROM PAGE B1
only allowing 64 points (Tuesday in a 64-41), but we gave up too many threes. If we can defend, we can be really good. It’s also a matter of believing in ourselves.” Sophomore guard Alivia Recker has elevated her game. She is averaging 9.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. She averaged 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game last year. “Recker has played very
well,” Mix said. Junior guard Kelsey Henselmeier lead Trine at 10 points per contest. She averaged 6.6 points, four rebounds and nearly two assists per game, and Mix sees her to be an important defensive player for the squad. Newell has averaged nine points and six rebounds per game. She transferred from the University of Toledo and made a big impact on offense last spring for
Trine’s softball team. “Amy hasn’t played in over two years, so she is knocking the rust off. She’s slowly getting there,” Mix said. “She had a high basketball IQ and is a good shooter up to 15 feet. She’s improving her ability to drive little bit by little bit. We just need to figure out where she can score.” Senior Lauren Tait will be a key player inside. She’s aggressive and rebounds well for only being 5-8.
But she has only played in one of the first three games because of a broken nose. Guard Megan Engle and forward Liz Hartley are the other seniors on the roster. Mix wants to get his newcomers actively in the rotation. That group is led by junior forward Katelyn Sager, a transfer from Salem Community College, and freshman guard Taylor Cole from Shepherd, Mich. “They are both left-handed,” Mix said.
“Sager can really run the floor and drive to the hoop. Cole is a nice addition.” Returning sophomore guard Sarah Miller has been a pleasant surprise to Mix in the early going. Freshmen Laura Rosekrans from Williamston, Mich., and Becky Depp from Geneva, Ohio, will also contribute. Rosekrans is a good perimeter shooter. Mix feels his team will be battling for the fourth and final spot in the MIAA
Tournament. Hope and Calvin are once again two of the top teams in NCAA Division III, and the coach feels Olivet has emerged as an upper division team in the conference. Trine assistant athletic director Andy Rang is Mix’s assistant coach this season. Rang has extensive experience as a high school head coach, including with the boys at Eastside and most notably with the girls at Fort Wayne South Side.