2011 winter sports preview

��WINTER SPORTS

SUPPLEMENT OF THE RITZVILLE ADAMS COUNTY JOURNAL • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

LIND/RITZVILLE-SPRAGUE BRONCOS & LACROSSE-WASHTUCNA TIGERCATS

............................................. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011 ................. WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

LRS BRONCOS. The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos have a veteran core and look to be competitive throughout the league season.They will do so with two sets of brothers on the roster this season (front row, left to right) Connor O’Neill, Bryson O’Neill, Drew Hartz and Dylan Hartz; (back row) Tyler Frederick, Colby Starring, Brandon Knodel, Jesse Miller, Jake Dewald, Palmer Phillips, Chris Steinmetz and head coach Dustan Arlt.

By Stephen McFaddenPublisher

All you need is five players to have a basketball team. The Broncos have twice that and more.

If the season shapes up as head coach Dustan Arlt would like it to, he will have a deep roster to work with.

“The top seven kids are pretty close,” he said. And eight, nine, 10 and 11 are not far behind either. I feel really good about the top 11.”

The Broncos will look for sophomore point guard Dylan Hartz to orchestrate the offense.

“We’re putting a lot on a sophomore’s shoulders and that kind of showed last weekend,” Arlt said. “He’s still our best player and he reminds me of me when I was a sophomore. He led us in a lot of statistical categories last year as a freshman. I’m expecting him to score a little more and do a lot of driving and kicking.”

Jake Dewald earned a starting role late last season and is working from there again.

“Toward the end of the year he was averaging eight points a game and he will give us all of that and a little more this year,” Arlt said. “He shoots well from the outside at times. We need to get him more consistent. He has the ability to score 15 to 20 points. He’s left-handed and makes a shifty drive to the hole.”

The fastest member of the team is Connor O’Neill.

“He is tough on defense,” Arlt said. “He has a nice pull up shot and makes good reads and when we’re in the press he’s going to get a lot of steals.”

Chris Steinmetz is the varsity veteran, a starter since he was a sophomore.

“He’s the captain and the leading vote getter among his teammates for captain,” Arlt said. “He’s just an athlete. His defense is an asset. We need him to finish more on scoring and not be so passive.”

Drew Hartz will be an opposing player from the post position.

“The first week of practice he looked quicker and in better shape,” Arlt said. “His brother seems to find him pretty well. His rebounding is a lot better. He’s more aggressive than in years past.”

Jesse Miller is earning his role as well.

“He’s challenging for a starting spot,” Arlt said. “He really helps with the rotation at the No. 4 spot as a forward/post. He’s the second tallest player on the team and our best driver to the basket.”

Colby Starring will have a regular role with the team with a good perimeter shot and good size.

“He’ll bring the post position out to the perimeter,” Arlt said. “He needs to attack the basket a little more and continue to work on his outside shot.”

Bryson O’Neill will serve as the back up point guard and provide support in a variety of situations.

“He’s our best man-to-man defender,” Arlt said. “He puts his nose right in there. What he did last summer surprised me. He can hit big shots and free throws. He just needs to stay in control and not take unnecessary shots.”

Brandon Knodel will work from the bench bringing a strong perimeter shooting game to the floor.

“He loves basketball as much as anyone,” Arlt said. “He’s smart and when

you put him in a situation he knows what to do.”

Palmer Phillips is an all-around hand on the court.

“He’s the blue collar post,” Arlt said. “He is as physical as any kid on our team. He’s tough and will dive after a loose ball. I really like what he’s giving to us.”

The Broncos have depth this year with talent spread throughout the junior varsity and C squad rosters.

Arlt likes the team’s chances if they can find a way to dismantle the league powerhouse Northwest Christian.

The Crusaders have two huge posts at 6 foot 6 and 6 foot 7. The pair dominate the inside and can combine for huge scoring.

“It’s going to be tough to beat them,” Arlt said. “We have to have outside shooting and get a little hot.”

Davenport and Reardan are two rivalry teams and the Broncos will need to get past both of them to hold onto a fighting chance in the league standings.

“They are always big games,” Arlt said. “Those games are going to be big for us.”

Broncos’ depth and experience should lead the way

WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW ................. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011 ............................................... PAGE 3

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The Season is Just

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TIGERCATS HOOPS TEAM. This year’s roster for the LaCrosse-Washtucna Tigercats includes (back row, left to right) Coach Mike Jones, Justin Wargo, Darcy Stamper, Sam Harder, Jed Zimmer, Jake Aune, James Hopkins, Jared Stark and Assistant Coach Mike Stubbs; (second row) Austin Summers, Taylor Martin, Matt Stubbs, Joey Guske, Riley Roberts, Jason Wigen; (third row) Douglas McKeen, Reece Roberts, Graham BeDell, Alec Fleming, Brandon Bennett; and (front row) Cole Evans and Cameron Ellis.


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By Katelin DavidsonNews Editor

The main goal for the LaCrosse-Washtucna boys basketball team for the 2011-2012 basketball season is to become better at free throws and reduce the amount of turnovers during a game.

Mike Jones, the head coach of the Tigercats basketball team, is thankful for the amount of athletes he had return this year and the total amount of players he has.

The 53-35 win over Garfield-Palouse on Saturday, Dec. 3, in a non-league game, helped to boost the Tigercats’ confidence and show who will be the leaders on the team this year.

Jones only has two seniors returning to play, but Jones does not have a final starters list. He does have an idea of the athletes he wants to have lead the team.

Justin Wargo, Jed Zimmer, James Hopkins and Sam Harder will all be playing the post positions, using their height and their experience to their advantage to score and defend low.

Jake Aune, Matt Stubbs, Darcy Stamper, Austin Summers, Graham BeDell and Taylor Martin will be playing the guard/forward position as the team’s main ball handlers and outside shooters.

This year’s team is one of the biggest teams that the Tigercats have had in many years. There are 20 athletes

playing for the team this year and it is a big relief to Jones.

“This is the first year that the boys have had the luxury of having more than one year of JV play,” said Jones. There are eight juniors playing this year and seven sophomores, allowing the lowerclassmen to have more playing time for the Tigercats team.

Joey Guske will be floating between the two teams as one of the shooting guards for the team. Brandon Bennett, who Jones said “is handling the ball very well” will be a guard and Jared Stark is a junior playing post that “has been showing a lot of potential” early in the season.

Cole Evans, Cameron Ellis, Douglas McKeen and Jason Wigen are the freshmen on the team and all will play a guard/forward position for the JV team. Reece Roberts is a sophomore playing his first year of high school basketball and is said to be “a great addition, and lots of fun to be around” by his coach.

Alec Fleming will be playing guard and is a transfer student who did not play basketball last year, but has been practicing well this season. Riley Roberts is a sophomore who will be playing guard and is known to have a good shot.

“The young kids are really doing a good job. They’re pushing the older kids to be their best,” Jones said. With the amount of players, they are able to stay fresh and every player will get playing time on either JV or varsity.

Last season, the Tigercats had a record of 6-14. Jones said a half of a dozen of those games that they lost were close games. A main reason Jones wants to focus on free throws and reducing turnovers is because of last season’s games.

The team’s juniors have seen a lot of playing time and this makes Jones optimistic for the upcoming season. Jones has a lot of experienced players, knowing he has a lot of options on his bench, aside from his starters.

“As long as we can be consistent and put the ball in the basket, we’ll be competitive,” said Jones. “We have a lot of solid players, and we’ll win if we have a good night shooting.”

Last year, the Tigercats lost five players to injuries late in the season changing the entire dynamic of the team. Jones wants to make sure all of the athletes stay healthy, but knows the team has a lot of contributors.

The Tigercats play their next game against Garfield-Palouse in their first league game on Friday and play Colton on Saturday.

Jones is excited about both his JV and varsity teams and so is assistant coach Mike Stubbs. Stubbs has been an assistant coach for the Tigercats for four years and always looks forward to the athletes returning to play.

“They all bring something different to the team,” said Jones. “We have a lot of good kids; all the kids are working hard. We’re all excited to see what happens this season.”

Tigercats look for leadership, consistency to gain wins


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LADY TIGERCATS. The roster is full this season for the LaCrosse-Washtucna Lady Tigercats’ basketball program. The team includes (back row, left to right) Kadie Whinery, Robyn Taylor, Alexis Hopkins, Logan Harder, Haley Dorman, Madison Harder, Amber Dainty, Brooklyn Hostetter and Coach Tim Stamper; Front row: Jessica Guske, Lindsey Miller, Ashtyn Aune, Jazlynn Webb, Chelsie Kneale, Anne Fleming and Jena Goude


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By Katelin DavidsonNews Editor

Shooting and becoming more aggressive are the two main goals that the LaCrosse-Washtucna Lady Tigercats are hoping to improve 2011-2012 basketball season.

The Lady Tigercats played a non-league game against Garfield-Palouse on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Lady Tigercats lost the game 22-33 but look forward to the rematch scheduled for later this week.

Tim Stamper, head coach of the Lady Tigercats for the last two years, knows that he does not have the tallest girls in the league, but believes they have something more important.

“These girls have big hearts. No matter what, they never give up,” Stamper said. “And that’s a victory for me.”

While Stamper still has not conclusively decided on his starting lineup, he knows that all of his players have something to bring to the team.

This year’s team only has two seniors, Anne Fleming and Jena Goude,

both who will be handling the ball as forwards/guards for the team. Logan Harder and Alexis Hopkins, a freshman, will be joining the two seniors at a forward position.

Kadie Whinery will be playing the main post position as one of the tallest girls on the team as will Madison Harder, an eighth grader on the JV team.

There are three other eighth grade girls joining the JV team, Jazlynn Webb, Jessica Guske and Ashtyn Aune. All four of the girls will play a full JV schedule until January when they will start playing volleyball.

Haley Dorman, Lindsey Miller and Chelsea Kneale will play a forward position. Stamper wants all of his forwards to improve on shooting, since most of them have a solid three-point shot.

Joining the team for the first time is junior Amber Dainty, and Stamper is excited she decided to join. Robyn Taylor has a lot of speed and will be playing forward while Brooklyn Hostetter is recognized primarily for her defensive ability.

Stamper will decide his starting lineup after a few games. “The first games will be feelers,” he said. “Our league is going to be strong. We will run man and zone (defense), and with our size, we’ll press a little bit.”

After the first games, Stamper will decide who he wants as his starters and what final position the girls will all be playing.

Stamper believes their biggest strength is defense. The girls are small and quick, and their speed will allow them to put pressure on their opponents.

“We’re not real tall. We’re going to have to work on blocking out skills. We need to be aggressive.”

But the main thing the Lady Tigercats need to work on is shooting. Stamper wants to make sure they improve at all-around shooting; meaning in the key, outside shots and free throws.

Overall, Stamper believes the Lady Tigercats will match up well with their league when they are playing their best basketball.

He thinks the two best match ups

for the season for them will be against Rosalia and Gar/Pal.

The Lady Tigercats all have good attitudes and love to joke with their coach. Stamper knows that part of their relationship between coach and players is so strong is because he also is an assistant coach for the grade school basketball team.

The majority of the girls have already competed on a team that he was helping to coach.

Stamper used to be an assistant coach on the boys basketball team and enjoys being part of the LaCrosse-Washtucna athletic program. He looks forward to seeing what the Lady Tigercats are capable of during a game, but most of all, he looks forward to a good season on and off the court.

“We always have fun,” Stamper said. “That’s the key to my program.”

The Lady Tigercats will play their first league game on Friday, Dec. 9, against Garfield-Palouse at Palouse at 6 p.m. The second league game will be against Colton the following day.

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READY TO WRESTLE. The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos have a total of 11 wrestlers on the roster this season. They will compete with a mix of veterans and newcomers. (back row, left to right) Salvador Huitron, Grayson Morris, Ethan Melville, Drew Wilke and head coach Jason Hilzer; Zeth Swanger, Keanu Niezwaag, Kyle Ritz and Johnny Hernandez. Not pictured are AJ Allen, Cory Goble and Scott Diefenbach.


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The Broncos have 11 wrestlers on the roster this season with several strong, experienced mat men. They will look to be competitive in a handful of weight classes and expect to have wrestlers competing well past the end of the regular season.

Head coach Jason Hilzer is pleased with his turnout because there is a mix of new wrestlers with his veterans.

The program is traditionally low on numbers and unable to field enough athletes to field each of wrestling’s weight classes, which would make it possible for the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos to compete for team points.

Local wrestling fans will need to travel this season to watch the program as it develops.

The Broncos have just one home league match this year. The rest of the time they will be visiting the mats of opposing teams.

The Broncos will host a league match on Thursday, Jan. 12.

Hilzer said he would like to set it up

so the team can host a tournament next season, hopefully bringing several teams to the city for a weekend event.

The key, he said, is the availability of former wrestling coach Mike Lynch. Hilzer said Lynch is extremely knowledgeable and well versed in organizing tournaments.

Looking down his roster, Hilzer notes a number of wrestlers he expects big things from this season.

“We have a couple of new guys, but just about everybody has wrestled before,” he said. “We’ll surprise a few people.”

Kyle Ritz returns to the mat at 106 pounds this season, having already recorded a win by pin at the Mars Tournament in Kennewick. Ritz is showing improvement and tenacity, overcoming the fact he doesn’t have two legs.

“Something has clicked with him,” Hilzer said. “He can feel when a guy is out of position. He’s a lot better off the bottom and he can hold kids off the top. Getting an early win was great and his confidence is so much better.”

Ritz qualified as an alternate to state last year and actually found himself on the

mat in the Tacoma Dome after a wrestler was disqualified.

Johnny Hernandez has stepped up in weight class make a leap from 112 to 126 pounds. He should continue to develop as a wrestler this season with his speed and agility on the mat.

Checking in at 145 for now and hopefully 138 later is Keanu Niezwaag, a returning state tournament qualifier. Niezwaag’s state efforts last year started with a win, but he lost back-to-back matches keeping him out of the medal placings.

While Niezwaag needs more work in a few areas, Hilzer said he’s sharp and comes in on par with how he finished last season when he was in top form.

Improving his shooting at the start of a match, controlling his hips better and improved leg riding will help Niezwaag make a return to the state championships.

Salvador Huitron returns at 145 pounds this season. He’s joined at that weight by a newcomer, Scott Diefenbach.

“Scott is a first year wrestler with a lot of natural instincts. He should win more than he loses,” Hilzer said.

Drew Wilke checks in at 160 pounds.

He and Huitron are high on the list of wrestlers Hilzer would like to see in the state championship brackets next spring.

Ethan Melville joins the team at 160 pounds.

Hilzer said the new addition is a quick learner and should grow into a good wrestler. Melville, he said, comes across from the football team, looking to gain strength and size as a wrestler.

Cory Goble will wrestle at 195 for the Broncos this season.

“He should definitely advance to the tournaments,” Hilzer said. “Off the bottom he has a lot of good rolls and is getting better. We need to work with him on top when he needs to turn somebody.”

In the 220-pound weight class the team has a veteran and a newcomer. Grayson Morris and Zeth Swanger. Morris checks in as a veteran while Swanger is a recent addition.

“Grayson’s a little better on his feet this year,” Hilzer said.

Rounding out the roster is the coach’s son, A.J. Allen.

He will wrestle at 285 and Hilzer said he expects him to go deep as long as he avoids injuries.

Eleven take to the mat for Broncos

............................................ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011 ................. WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

Date Opponent Location Boys C BJV GJV GV BVDec. 9 Davenport Davenport 6:00 4:30 4:30 6:00 7:30Dec. 10 Reardan Ritzville 1:00 4:30 3:00 6:00 7:30Dec. 13 Northwest Christian Ritzville 4:00 4:30 3:00 6:00 7:30Dec. 16 Mary Walker Springdale 6:00 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Dec. 17 Colfax Ritzville 1:00 4:30 3:00 6:00 7:30Dec. 20 St. George’s Spokane 4:30 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 3 Liberty Lind 4:30 x 6:00 7:30Jan. 7 Kettle Falls Kettle Falls 4:30 3:00 3:00 4:30 6:00Jan. 10 Rosalia Ritzville 4:30 3:00 6:00 7:30Jan. 14 Davenport Ritzville 1:00 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 17 Reardan Reardan 6:00 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 20 Mark Walker Lind 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 21 Northwest Christian Colbert 6:00 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 27 St. George’s Ritzville 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 28 Colfax Colfax 6:00 4:30 4:30 6:00 7:30Feb. 4 Kettle Falls Ritzville 11:30 1:00 2:30 4:30 6:00Feb. 7 Liberty Spangle 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Feb. 9 Loser Out GamesFeb. 11, 13, 15 Bi-County League Tournament Mead/Mt. SpokaneFeb. 17, 18 Bi-County League Tournament Mt. SpokaneFeb. 24 Regional Tournament Mt. SpokaneMar. 1-3 State Tournament Spokane

LRS Broncos 2011-2012 Basketball Schedule

DATE OPPONENT SITE GJV BJV GV BVDec. 9 Garfield/Palouse Palouse 4:30 4:30 6:00 7:30Dec. 10 Colton Colton 2:00 3:30 5:00 6:30Dec 13 Tri-Cities Prep Washtucna 3:30 5:00 6:30Dec. 16 Pomeroy Washtucna 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Dec. 17 Touchet Touchet 2:00 3:30 5:00 6:30Dec. 21 Tri-Cities Prep TCP 3:30 5:00 6:30Dec 29 Dayton Tournament Dayton ----- ----- 1:30 5:15Dec 30 Dayton Tournament Dayton ----- ----- TBA TBAJan. 6 St. John-Endicott St.John 4:30 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 7 Tekoa-Oakesdale Washtucna 2:00 3:30 5:00 6:30Jan. 10 Odessa/Harrington Washtucna 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 13 Rosalia LaCrosse 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 14 Garfield/Palouse LaCrosse 2:00 3:30 5:00 6:30Jan. 20 Colton LaCrosse 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 21 Pomeroy Pomeroy 2:00 3:30 5:00 6:30Jan. 27 Touchet Washtucna 3:00 4:30 6:00 7:30Jan. 28 St. John-Endicott LaCrosse 2:00 3:30 5:00 6:30Feb. 3 Tekoa-Oakesdale T/O** 4:30 4:30 6:00 7:30Feb. 4 Rosalia Rosalia 3:30 3:30 5:00 6:30

** JV boys will be in Tekoa, all other games are in Oakesdale

LW Tigercats 2011-2012 Basketball Schedule

Game ResultsStatistics

CommentaryPredictions

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Stressing man-to-man defense this season, head coach Randy Heidenreich expects the Lady Broncos to be consistent on the court when opposing teams have the ball. In previous seasons the Lady Broncos have employed a matchup zone. This year Heidenreich said his players do a better job of working in man-to-man and switching into a regular zone when needed.

“We’ve thrown out the matchup zone,” he said. “We’re stressing man-to-man more.”

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague’s defense will need to be sharp and consistent night after night as the league teams will be well balanced and fairly equal. Reardan comes in as the league favorite. Colfax will likely chase the No. 2 spot. After that, all of the teams will have an opportunity to vie for league supremacy.

“Reardan has a very good nucleus of athletes. They’ll be tough to beat. They have tons of talent and everything they need, they have,” Heidenreich said. “Colfax is bringing back a lot of kids. After that the league is pretty well balanced. There will be no automatics this year.”

The Lady Broncos know they have work to do to improve over last season.

“It starts with turnovers,” Heidenreich said. “We gave up the ball 25 to 30 times, that’s a lot of missed opportunities.”

Those numbers have already improved already. In their overtime win over Columbia-Burbank the Lady Broncos had eight turnovers. Their second outing they had nine.

“Defensively we’re better as well,” Heidenreich said. “There’s a lot of cohesiveness. The older girls are very encouraging. It’s a good start.”

Jenna Bennett has the task of playing point guard as a freshman.

“She can improve her ball handling, using her left hand, but she is able to drive and dish and do some things we just haven’t been able to do from that position,” Heidenreich said.

Jenna’s older sister, Andrea Bennett will also be working the court, providing the team with some of its fire and determination.

“She has a lot of hustle and heart,” Heidenreich said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a game or practice she’s going full bore, 110 percent. All the time.”

Andrea will contribute in many ways. Her rebounding will be a key component. Heidenreich said she has an instinct that leads her to the ball when it leaves the rim.

Brooke Pichette works herself into the mix as a wing/post from the No. 4

spot.“She’s been pretty efficient. She

had nine points against both Columbia-Burbank and Warden,” Heidenreich said. “She just needs to get a little better on defense.”

Davis Killian is a senior leader on the team. She will play post for the team.

“She’s probably our best post defender and also an offensive threat,” Heidenreich said. “She has a nice little jump hook that she’s starting to use more. We’re trying to get her to turn both ways. She has a soft touch.

Davis’s younger sister, Dalyn Killian will also work from under the basket.

Heidenreich said Dalyn is working on her defense but already delivers on offense.

“She’s right where we want her to be,” he said. “The sisters work well together. Dalyn is solid, strong.”

Kaylin Phillips will play at the No. 2 guard spot when she is finally able to return. She hasn’t practiced yet with the team due to an extended illness. Heidenreich expects her to work her way back in the mix during the next couple of weeks.

Chelsey Heidenreich will work from the No. 32 guard spot or as a wing. She is sure handed driving the ball up the

court and delivering solid passes to the post players. She’ll also contribute a nice perimeter shot.

Kailey York moved up to varsity at the end of last season and has earned her place on the roster again this year.

“She has a nice shot and sneaks in there and gets steals and lay-ins as well as offensive rebounds,” Heidenreich said.

Brittany Ste. Marie is the team’s tenacious defensive specialist.

“She’s definitely one of our best

defenders,” Heidenreich said. “She’s smart and really improved her game this year.”

Cathrine Hentges provides great support as a No. 2 guard or wing for the Lady Broncos as a member of the supporting cast.

She provides the team with hustle and could spark.

Mallory Kessler rounds out the roster and will likely split time between the varsity and junior varsity this season.

LADY BRONCOS. If this year’s team controls turnovers, head coach Randy Heidenreich expects to challenge for one of the league’s top spots. The roster includes (back row, left to right) Coach Heidenreich, Maya Wahl, Brooke Pichette, Chelsey Heidenreich, Dalyn Killian, Kailey York, Davis Killian and Mallory Kessler; (front row) Andrea Bennett, Brittnay Ste. Marie, Jenna Bennett, Cathrine Hentges, Kaytlin Phillips.

Lady Broncos alter defense, look to compete

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2011 winter sports preview

Documents

press hes

head coach dustan arlt

lot better

drew hartz

bryson oneill

best player

good perimeter

lot of steals