By Chris Parker
Conway boys basketball has a new head coach in Colby Vavruska this season. He is a first-year head coach who is a Conway alumnus.
“Being a Conway graduate, I knew that I wanted to end up back at Conway,” Vavruska said. “I am excited for the future of this program and excited to be a part of this group.”
He inherits a program that has not finished above .500 since 2017-18.
“I recognize that change won’t happen overnight,” Vavruska said. “It’s going to take time to align everyone and work toward a shared goal. With multiple coaching changes since 2019, there’s a process to getting things established—but I’m excited and ready for the challenge.”
Vavruska is ready to blend the established with the new.
“What excites me most about this upcoming season is the combination of fresh leadership, returning experience, and the opportunity to build something lasting,” Vavruska said. “First, working with our coaching staff and players in my first year as head coach means we get to establish our culture, set our standards, and create the vision together. I’m optimistic because I see returning players who know what it takes having varsity minutes or starting roles already and they’re ready to step up. On top of that, we have newcomers and underclassmen eager to learn and contribute, which gives us depth and energy.”
Juniors Ryan Vaughan, Lucas Freeman and Wyatt Lewis along with senior Colton Cooley are the key returning players.
Vavruska on Vaughan: “He will have the most experience returning as a starter from last year. He is going to have to produce more offensively than what was asked of him last year.”
Vavruska on Freeman: “Lucas stepped into a starting role toward the end of last season and quickly established himself as a key presence on the floor. Known for his high-energy play, he brings intensity on both ends of the court and is willing to do the dirty work that pumps up his teammates.”
Vavruska on Lewis: “Wyatt gained valuable experience last year with some varsity minutes and now enters the season with an expanded role. We’ll be asking him to do a little bit of everything for the team.”
Vavruska on Cooley: “Colton returns this year with varsity experience, having already seen valuable minutes last season. We expect him to make a significant impact on the defensive end, anchoring our team’s presence inside, contesting shots, and setting the tone with his physicality and effort.”
Seniors Nathan Sikes and Jacob Strong along with freshmen Noah Gunter and Beckett Bilyeu are newcomers to watch.
“We are going to be guard heavy, which should make us quicker and be able to play faster than we have in previous years while still also being able to slow it down when we need to,” Vavruska said. “Our biggest area for improvement is mental toughness and defensive effort. It’s not enough to have one or two players who want to defend. We need all five players on the floor committed to playing defense and securing rebounds as a unit.”
Conway opens the season on Nov. 25 at Plato.
“For me, a successful season isn’t just defined by the win‑loss column,” Vavruska said. “It’s about building a united culture where everyone is aligned and working toward the same goal—something we’ve been through a lot of transition with, given the number of different coaches since 2019. I want to see our players buy into the process: arriving at practice ready, holding each other accountable, communicating on both ends of the floor, and improving every week. I’d like to see us grow in consistency, be more disciplined defensively, more confident in our offense, and resilient when we face adversity.”
