By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Camdenton boys basketball program has managed just one winning season since 2015 — a drought new head coach Steve Sanders hopes to end.
Sanders joins the Lakers after serving as an assistant at Skyline, where he helped guide the girls program to back-to-back state championships. With more than two decades of coaching experience, he’s eager to take on the challenge ahead.
“Our vision (is) that our program is competitive on every level,” Sanders said. “We want to always be in the mix for a conference and district championship. It’s not going to be an overnight fix, but we believe we have a core group of guys to get us over the hump and change the culture of our program.”
The Lakers return three starters from the group that finished 11-15 in their first season in the Central Missouri Activities Conference, and are adding several newcomers who are ready to make their case for playing time.
The first order of business is figuring out who fits where.
“I think any time you take over a team there are a lot of unanswered questions,” Sanders said. “The main one for us is who are going to be the guys that buy in and want to make a change. Who are the guys that are willing to do what it takes to be successful as a team?”
Sanders already has a clear vision for what that commitment should look like.
“We want to be a team that competes every day,” Sanders said. “Not just in games, but in practice too. We want to get to a point where we know that no matter the outcome of the games our players are playing hard, we are a good defensive and rebounding team and our players show high character on and off the floor. Our main focus as a staff is that we change the culture to a team that believes we can compete with anyone on our schedule.”
The Lakers have reason to believe Sanders’ vision can take hold.
Junior guard Alan Poage, who earned all-district honors as a sophomore, gives them a proven playmaker to build around.
“He is able to score for us in many different ways, does a great job of getting his team involved and continues to improve his game,” Sanders said. We know that Alan has the tools to be one of the top players in the area and we are looking forward to seeing him take his game to the next level in his junior season.”
Sanders is also asking veterans Krasi Petrov-Diaz, Brady Rapp and Bryce Branson to elevate their games and help set the tone for a relatively young team.
Sanders on Petrov-Diaz, a senior guard: “Krasi is a good shooter and we will look for him to give us depth in the guard spot and bring energy to our defense.”
Sanders on Rapp, a senior guard: “Brady is a really good shooter and will be asked to do more than just take outside shots this season. We know that he is up for the challenge as he steps into a full-time starting role for us.”
Sanders on Branson, a junior forward: “Bryce will be outsized a lot nights and we will be depending on him outworking the other post players and (being) an elite rebounder and a defensive stopper. He is a post player that is able to score around the basket, but also has good range that we hope to utilize.”
Notable new faces include senior center Nyheim Parker, sophomore guard Aidan Poage, junior guard Brody Reese and junior forward Michael Maschino, who will all make their case for time on the court.
“There are several players that I have not had a chance to see play yet so it’s hard to determine who will be our top contributors,” Sanders said. “There are also several players who I know are right there waiting for their opportunity to play varsity and some of them may get a chance to dress with both JV and varsity to start this season.”
Camdenton will host Eugene, Macks Creek and Osage for a November 18 jamboree. The Lakers will open the regular season at the Tipton Tournament, which starts December 1.
“We are mostly excited to see who is ready to work hard and compete,” Sanders said. “I think we will see who those guys are going to be sooner than later.”
