Day: November 16, 2022

With plenty of returning experience leading the way, the McAuley Catholic boys basketball team has extremely high hopes for the 2022-23 season.

The Warriors have good reason for optimism despite a 7-21 record a year ago because experience drives success, and McAuley has a bevy of experience this season. After graduating just one player with starting experience from last season, Jeffrey Horinek, McAuley returns five upperclassmen and a sophomore with starting experience at the varsity level.

“I expect us to be better at the start of this season than we were at the end of last season,” third-year Warriors coach Tony Witt said. “I also expect us to be playing our best basketball at the end of the year. The conference will be balanced and tough this year, as it is most years. We will have to play well to have a chance at a conference championship as well as making a run come districts.”

The list of varsity returners for the Warriors are seniors Noah Black (SG/SF), Joe Staton (SG) and Kable Reichardt (SF), juniors Rocco Bazzano-Joseph (SG) and Bradley Wagner (SF/PF) and sophomore PG Michael Parrigon.

“This season is one I have been looking forward to more than any others in the past,” Bazzano-Joseph said to SoMo Sports. “We lose a very little amount and return five of our starters. We are the most experienced we have been, and I believe we have a good chance to make a run.”

“We have a great group of competitive guys who enjoy playing together,” Staton said to SoMo Sports. “Our goal is to bring home a district championship for the school and have some fun in the process. We want to leave behind a legacy that future teams can look up to, like we did when we were little.”

Expected to make a bigger impact at the varsity level this season will be senior SF Jack Jones and senior C Trey Martinez. With six returning players with starting experience and two more upperclassmen joining the fray, it is clear that experience will be a strength for McAuley this season—perhaps its biggest strength.

“Varsity experience is not an issue for us this year,” Witt said. “We have eight letterwinners coming back as well as two seniors rejoining the team after sitting their junior year out. Out of the eight letterwinners, six started last year in some capacity. And below our top eight, we have seven or eight players not mentioned that could see time as well depending on how quickly they develop. Our practices should be extremely competitive. Every day will be an audition to earn time.”

While the experience the Warriors carry into the 2022-23 season will be the leading strength, McAuley is still going to have to learn how to use that experience to close out winnable games—something that was an issue a year ago.

“We cannot have bad quarters,” Witt said. “We lost five games by a total of 16 points last year due to a bad quarter. We must have cleaner play and cannot give opponents extra possessions and expect to win. We must shoot better from the free-throw line and cannot leave points on the floor. We must be better defensively from top to bottom. Our rotations, communication, and rebounding all must get better. If we can clean up these areas, keep our heads on straight, and stay healthy, we could have a special season.”

McAuley opens the season hosting Liberal on Nov. 22.

After graduating three starters, including two of the school’s top four all-time scorers in program history, the McAuley Catholic girls basketball team is relying on new faces to compete for an Ozark 7 Conference crown in 2022-23.

The Warriors graduated Kayleigh Teeter (1,383 points, 3rd all-time), Kennedy DuRuy (1,379 points, 4th all-time) and second-team all-conference post player Avery Eminger. Fortunately, McAuley does return four players with varsity experience for a foundation to build on as the season progresses. 

“We will probably have some learning curves at the beginning of the year,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “That is to be expected when you lose the amount of talent we did. There’s no doubt our patience will be tested. I am confident, however, in our ability to adjust and grow as the season goes along. As long as they foster (our keys for success), we should be able to compete at a high level once districts arrive.”

Leading the list of returners for the Warriors are senior forward Lily Black and junior G/F Kloee Williamson. Williamson averaged 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.7 steals per game a season ago, while Black averaged 6.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks per contest. Also returning to the varsity squad this year is junior G Kendall Ramsey and junior F Kaitlyn Bates. 

Expected to make an impact at the varsity level for the first time this year includes freshmen G Brooke Righter, F Keira Mays, G Vanessa Diaz and G Crystal Torres.

“Defense will be our strength this year,” Howard said. “If we can rely on our defense to create our offense, then that’s obviously the recipe for success. … Anytime you lose two of the top four scorers in program history, and the top three scorers from last season, offense becomes a focal point. We will need younger players to step up and fill those voids as best they can.” 

While scoring will be something the Warriors focus on improving from the onset, Coach Howard believes much of the concern lies more on the mental side of the game for his group. He feels that once they trust themselves on the court, success will follow.

“Ways to improve starts with changing your mindset about scoring,” Howard said. “We aren’t going to be able to rely on Kayleigh or Kennedy to score most of the points anymore. Our returning lettermen will need to adjust and become more aggressive with the ball in their hands and look to score. The best way to score is forcing turnovers and making layups on the other end. The more we can stay out of the half-court offense, the better we will be.”

McAuley opens the season at home with a matchup against Liberal on Nov. 22.