Craig Daily Press / MCHS boys varsity basketball will rely on speed instead of height

Archive for Thursday, November 26, 2009

The Moffat County boys varsity basketball team works for a rebound during a defensive drill Tuesday night. The team hopes its athleticism will make up for its lack of size this season in the Western Slope League.

By Ben Bulkeley

November 26, 2009

A look at other boys varsity basketball teams in the Western Slope League.

Note: boys guards and other WSL team capsules will be in Friday’s Craig Daily Press.

Steamboat Springs High School

2008-09 record: 17-6 (12-2 in WSL)

Head coach: Luke DeWolfe

Returning players: 3

Players to watch: PG Isiah Forsyth, SG Charles Wood, F Jack Spady

Notes: Steamboat Springs is coming off a successful season, and with three core players returning, should be near the top of the Western Slope League. Steamboat will run a motion-based offense and defensively will give opponents looks in both man-to-man and zone coverage.

Behind senior Jack Spady, the Sailors return an all-conference selection who again should be dangerous in the post, and coach Luke DeWolfe is excited about returning guards Isiah Forsyth and Charles Wood.

Glenwood Springs High School

2008-09 record: 17-8 (12-2 in WSL)

Head coach: Greg Hire

Returning players: 0

Players to watch: G Russell Collins, G Kevin Flohr

Notes: The good news: Glenwood Springs is coming off a year in which it trailed only Steamboat Springs in the Western Slope League. The bad news: the nine seniors on last year’s team are gone. But coach Greg Hire said the Demons should be able to run with the rest of the Western Slope League despite being in rebuilding mode.

Senior Russell Collins will lead a young band of juniors and freshmen as Glenwood hopes to again be knocking on the Western Slope League’s door in two years.

This year’s team will focus on man-to-man defense and a motion offense.

Delta High School

2008-09 record: 8-11 (6-8 in WSL)

Head coach: Von Mitchell

Returning players: 6

Players to watch: F Phillip Decker, F Austin Watson, F Eli Baier

Notes: After a successful football season, Delta is looking to surprise a lot of teams on the hardwood, as well. Coach Von Mitchell said the team has put in the extra work before the season started and that willingness to work should carry the Panthers during the season.

A front court of Eli Baier, Austin Watson and Philip Decker also is among the best in the league, and Delta should be able to work its way up the standings.

The Western Slope is a big place.

With some of the post players roaming the high school division 4A basketball courts, it can feel a lot smaller.

From Delta to Steamboat Springs, Moffat County High School boys varsity basketball will have its hands full.

Although not as tall as some of their opponents, the Bulldogs do hold one advantage.

Speed.

Between Brian Ivy, Jordan Wilson, Andrew Raftopoulos, Chet Harvey and Jeremiah Gordon, the Bulldogs frontcourt is as fast and athletic as any in the league.

Adding in smaller and fleet-footed guards makes Moffat County a team happy to run and gun.

Last year, Wilson averaged almost five points a game on a senior-heavy team.

This year, as one of the Bulldogs main options in the post, Wilson will be expected to help carry the load.

“Last year’s team probably had more talent, but this year’s team is going to work harder,” Wilson said. “We don’t have any bad players, and we have a lot of potential.”

Wilson said he knew where Moffat County’s biggest challenge in the league will come from.

“Steamboat is going to be tough,” he said. “But Steamboat is tough every year.”

The defense also will rely on speed and athleticism as opposed to height.

Ivy, a senior, has the jumping ability (third at the state track meet in the triple jump) to block shots.

“We’re shorter this year, but we’re probably faster, too,” he said. “We have a couple of pretty tall guys, but we’re shorter than most teams.”

Moffat County lost any height advantage it had when Chayton Owens (and his 19.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game) graduated.

Moffat County also lost all-conference honorable mention forward Kelton Wilbanks.

Small forwards such as Harvey and Raftopoulos specialize in rebounding and scoring and add athleticism to Moffat County’s lineup of post players.

Challenges for the Bulldogs this season will come in all shapes and sizes.

Expect the big problems to be centered around Delta and Steamboat Springs.

In Delta, Eli Baier has garnered much preseason attention from coaches around the Western Slope League, and forwards Austin Watson and Phillip Decker give coach Von Mitchell options on both ends of the floor.

Steamboat also has a post player to top the league in forward Jack Spady.

The senior was named to the all-conference team as a junior and is expected to lead the Sailors in the paint this year.