By Angie Brushwood (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
This year’s Ash Grove Pirates team will be going into the 2018-19 season with no varsity experience after last year’s entire varsity team graduated. The Pirates finished 12-15 last season, ending their season with a 74-71 loss to Strafford.
Eight seniors graduated from the Pirates’ varsity squad, including Tate Moreland and Braden Trammell. Moreland earned honorable mention all-Mid-Lakes conference after averaging 17.2 points per game along with 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists last year. Trammell earned Second Team All-Mid-Lakes conference. Trammell surpassed 1,000 points with the Pirates during his senior year.
Going into his fourth year as head coach, Josh Reece looks forward to guiding the inexperienced team to success.
“We’re starting from scratch. I don’t have a single varsity minute coming back,” said Reece. “It’s going to be interesting, but it will be fun. We have a bunch of kids ready to play.”
Not only does the team look different for the Pirates, the schedule does too. Ash Grove is now part of the Southwest Conference, made up of schools more comparable to the smaller district. Ash Grove also moves to class 2 due to decreasing attendance.
“We’re going to be a lot more competitive in our conference games,” said Reece. “Now we’re with more schools our size, so year to year it will help us competitively.”
Reece will look to senior captains Briley King and Draven Zeigler to lead the Pirates. Zeigler grew two inches since last season, standing at 6’4” and 190 pounds.
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“Draven is a long athletic kid that can completely change a game on either end of the floor,” said Reece. “He is a mismatch for other teams due to his ability to play both inside and out. We will look to get him the ball on the offensive end while relying on him to set the tone on the defensive end.”
King (5’8”) has worked hard this summer to play well as point guard for the Pirates.
“Briley has really stepped it up this summer,” said Reece. “He will sacrifice anything for the team. Briley has a motor on the defensive end of the floor that will provide instant energy and consistency. He will also be our floor general by getting others easy looks and getting us into our offensive sets.”
Devin Blake, a 5’11” 200-pound senior, will be expanding his leadership role as well.
“Devin is a smart basketball player that can hit open shots while getting others open,” said Reece. “I will look for him to expand his leadership role while extending his presence on the defensive end.”
Reece knows the team’s inexperience is a hurdle to overcome, but he also sees the team itself as the Pirates’ greatest strength.
“We have a lot of kids that like each other and get along and are willing to put the other person first,” said Reece. “They are good kids. They mesh well. We don’t have any kids that are a little better or worse. It’s’ an enjoyable group, and very coachable. I’m looking forward to that.”
Sophomore Noah Phipps (5’11”) will be stepping into varsity minutes, adding depth on offense and defense.
“Noah is an athletic wing player that has shown he can be a versatile player on both ends of the floor,” said Reece. “We will look for him to take the next step by contributing big minutes off the bench while improving his consistency.”
At 6’3” and 170 pounds, junior Cody Raney will add height to the Pirates’ defense.
“Cody’s athleticism and length on the defensive end have caused problems for some good players this summer. His length will be leaned on in the paint area and crashing the glass,” predicted Reece. “I look for him to continue to build confidence with his shot while being an all-around player for our team.”
Senior Deaven Phipps (6’2”) and sophomore Tyler Vert (6’2”) will also add size to the Pirates. At 230 pounds, Phipps boasts athletic ability to go with his size.
“Deaven is a thick strong post player that has good footwork and touch around the rim,” said Reece. “Deaven could be asked to shoulder the majority of the offensive interior work while being a big presence in the paint on the defensive end of the floor.”
Junior Jonas Adams (5’8”), sophomore Jake Thompson (5’9”), and freshman Sam Moreland (5’8”) will add quickness to the Pirates’ team.
“Jonas is a quick, versatile guard,” said Reece. “Jake is a player that is always doing exactly what is asked of him. Sam will be asked to bring an offensive spark to the starting lineup by knocking down shots from the perimeter while using his high basketball IQ to impact the game.”
Shaping this group of players into a strong team is a challenge Reece accepts gladly.
“We have a group of boys that want to put the team first and are hungry for success. With losing so much to graduation, we are going to have some growing pains early in order to reach our potential. Playing time and roles will be up for grabs.”
Zeigler and King share their coach’s optimism about the season.
“We have a lot of developing to do as a whole, to find ourselves as a team,” said King. “We are going to have to face a lot of adversity and overcome it, but we are all excited to work hard and have a successful season.”
“If we play and grow together, we will surprise some people,” said Zeigler.
The Pirates’ home opener will be November 20 against Purdy.
