By Chris Parker
Sarcoxie boys basketball will have a young team coming off a seven-win season.
Gatlon Malotte will be one of the only seniors on the roster.
“Gatlon is a champion high jumper and hurdler,” Sarcoxie head coach Gerod Hall said. “He can jump with the best of them. He may be our only senior this year, so we will need his leadership and his ability to elevate and score/rebound.”
Lane Everts is also a senior, but will miss most if not all of the season with an injury.
“Lane tore his ACL during football, so we may not have him at all this year,” Hall said. “Whether he plays or not, he will still be a big part of the team.”
Junior Grey Phelps returns at forward after earning varsity minutes last season.
“Grey saw quite a bit of varsity action last year and excelled,” Hall said. “He has many tools that will allow him to affect the game.”
Kole Kellhofer saw varsity action right away as a freshman and will have an expanded role this season.
“Kole was a confident freshman last year who earned the playing time that he got,” Hall said. “He was a much-needed calming presence during some games. We will need him to play a much bigger role this year.”
Juniors Marshall Hall, Gabe McLaughlin and Hunter Whitledge along with sophomores Reily Barrios and Landen Straw all will be in the mix for varsity minutes.
Coach Hall on Marshall Hall: “Marshall got into a couple of varsity games last year, but over the summer continued to develop his post game and will likely get plenty of opportunities around the rim.”
Coach Hall on McLaughlin: “Gabe is looking for his first varsity action. Gabe is a leaper who is known for some acrobatic moves.”
Coach Hall on Whitledge: “Hunter is another looking for his first varsity action. He is very unselfish and does a great job on the defensive end of the floor.”
Coach Hall on Barrios: “Reily played limited varsity minutes last year, but that role will likely expand. He is a slasher and always seems to be in the right place at the right time.”
Coach Hall on Straw: “Landen was our point guard during the summer and did a great job of controlling the tempo of the game. He will be an important piece for us this season.”
Sarcoxie opens the season on Nov. 21 at Greenfield.
“We would like to get double-digit wins and play above .500. We would also like to be in the top half of the conference and win at least one district game,” Coach Hall said. “These kids have the talent and drive to be successful. They also like each other off the court and put the team ahead of themselves.”
