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.
