By Chris Parker
El Dorado Springs boys basketball won six games last season, which snapped a streak of three straight winning seasons.
This year’s team will look to get back to the winning side of things with a deeper roster returning.
“One of our strengths this season will be that we have more depth,” El Dorado Springs head coach David Rogers said. “Last season, we had limited players with varsity experience. I also look for our defense to play a big role in our success.”
The returning players are led by Karson Burley (senior guard), Graydee Wolfe (junior guard), Brady Floyd (sophomore guard), Rylun Mays (sophomore guard) and Ayden Bruce (sophomore forward).
Rogers on Burley: “Karson is a big strong kid who I look to be more physical and more of a downhill threat this season. I look for him to help lead and have a big impact from his position. I want to see him be a matchup problem for teams because of his size and strength.”
Rogers on Wolfe: “Graydee injured his ankle the second game of the season last year. He battled it until after the first of the year. He finished strong and grew a lot in the second half of the season. I look for him to be a facilitator from the guard spot and do some good things for us this season.”
Rogers on Floyd: “Brady was in and out of the starting lineup for us last season. He had to play multiple roles as a freshman, which is hard to do. We look to get him in a more stable spot for us this year. He understands the game, and we look for him to help facilitate things more on the floor for us this season. He is a competitor and always looking to improve his game in some way.”
Rogers on Mays: “Rylun is a kid who earned his way onto the court for his defensive effort. He is quick and has become a problem for ball handlers. You always know what you will get from him. I look for him to be a big asset for us defensively. I’m excited to see him grow on the offensive side of the ball and become even more of a threat.”
Rogers on Bruce: “Ayden is raw and doesn’t yet know his own ability. He is going to give some teams mismatch problems because of his ability to play inside and out. We look for him to be one of the pieces that help replace Russell (Ferguson) and have a big presence inside.”
Parker Heitz (senior guard), Marcus Mossman (sophomore guard), Eyan Schmitt (junior forward), Lane Mead (sophomore forward), Taylon Robison (sophomore guard) and Carter Smith (freshman guard) played a mix of junior varsity and varsity last season.
Rogers on Heitz: “Parker is a kid that has been growing each year. We could see his confidence growing last season and as that happened, he became more of a leader for us at the JV level. He’s a kid that does what is asked of him and continues to get better.”
Rogers on Mossman: “Marcus is coming back to us this year after a severe ankle/leg injury. Marcus is a strong athletic kid who works hard and does everything asked of him. He will be one that is competing for a starting spot. I am looking for him to play the 3-4 spot and be a matchup issue for teams. He is a kid that is solid and gets after it on the court. He has spent a lot of time this off-season working on his skills and rehabbing and is ready to be back on the court.”
Rogers on Schmitt: “Eyan is a kid who has grown and improved in a lot of areas. He is another piece we look to replace Russell (Ferguson) and be a big presence for us on the inside. He has done a lot of work this offseason, and we are excited to see him compete and expect some big things out of him.”
Rogers on Mead: “Lane is a kid that works hard every day and started seeing minutes towards the end of the season. He is a kid that does whatever we ask and hustles at everything. We look for him to be a big inside help for us.”
Rogers on Robison: “Taylon is a kid that we look to step up for us this season. He had a mid-season ankle injury that prevented him from finishing the season. Before that, he was showing some great progress, and we look for him to compete for minutes this season at the varsity level.”
Rogers on Smith: “Carter is a kid that has a lot of potential and has a chance to compete for good minutes at the varsity level. He does a lot well for a freshman and has good knowledge of the game. He works hard on defense, and we are excited to see what he does this season.”
Rogers highlighted defense, communication and free throw shooting as key areas for improvement.
“We will continue to focus on defense and make that a priority for us,” Rogers said. “I want to see us play better within our means and as a team. Communication is something we must improve on. We still need to improve at the free throw line in order for us to be more successful and win the close games.”
El Dorado Springs opens the season Dec. 1-6 at the Gem City Classic in Diamond.
“I’m excited to see this team perform this year,” Rogers said. “These guys get along well and all want to compete. We will have kids pushing each other for playing time and competition breeds success. I am excited to see these kids develop and where their skills take them this season. We have another tough schedule this year for us, and I am looking for us to grow from it. I’m looking forward to an exciting season and to represent our town and school in a positive way.”
