They have lots of potential, but players will need to mesh and learn to play together for the Wood River High School boys’ varsity basketball team to be successful in 2013-14.
Second-year varsity coach Andy Miles voiced that opinion Monday about his 10-player varsity that debuts its 20-game season today, Wednesday, Dec. 4 with games against the Kimberly Bulldogs at the Hailey high school gym.
Between varsity, junior varsity and freshman programs, Wood River’s turnout has up-ticked to 40 players including 11 sophomores and a large freshman class of 18.
Miles, 25, a 2006 Idaho Falls High School graduate and three-sport athlete, took the helm of the Wolverine program shortly before the start of last season and stitched together a 6-15 season despite having a very young team.
That represented the most Wolverine basketball wins in five years, and the most home victories (4) in six seasons in Hailey. The team’s scoring was low at 31.9 ppg, but the defense fairly stable at 44.8 ppg.
“I knew it was going to be a struggle last year, but I was happy to get six wins,” he said Monday. “We have a core group of seven players returning, plus three new kids. They had some success this summer when we played 26 games. They ran the floor well and got a lot of good wins.
“Our juniors Cody Carter (4.3 ppg), Jon Scott (2.4 ppg) and Connor Hayes (4.2 ppg) gained a lot of experience as sophomores last year, and guard Alec Nordsieck (a team-best 5.6 ppg) started as a freshman.
“I expect our ball-handling to be greatly improved, although my biggest concern is taking care of the ball.
“Offensively, we’ll still try to be patient and get the shot we want, but we’ll try to run more.”
“I’ve put the challenge out to (6-3 senior) Eron Bates (5.5 ppg) to be our leading rebounder. Senior Kevin Hernandez (3.7 ppg) has focused on his inside game and will also help us with the rebounding. So should (6-3) junior Parker Bingham.”
Among the three new players is Brazilian exchange student Arthur Brugger, a mobile 6-3 guard/forward who contributed to the State 4A tournament runner-up Wood River boys’ soccer team this fall.
Miles said, “Arthur definitely brings a different style—basketball moves you don’t normally see, with a Euro-style finesse that seems completely different from the other players. He sees the floor well.”
Wood River has four non-league games against 3A South Central Idaho Conference opponents Kimberly, Filer, Gooding and Buhl before opening its 4A Great Basin Conference slate against Minico’s Spartans in Rupert Dec. 18.
Kimberly returns many players from last year’s 7-13 campaign that ended with losses to Filer and Gooding in the SCIC tournament.
Filer (23-3 last winter) lost six seniors from its State 3A third-place team at Meridian last March, but they have a pair of senior guards in Logan Beard and Austin Beard who should put the ‘Cats firmly in the hunt for a third straight SCIC title.
And the Buhl Tribe led by talented 6-4 senior Kade Crossland will be aiming for a rematch with Filer in the SCIC title game. Filer won last year’s contest 52-38.
The Great Basin Conference provides stiffer challenges.
Miles said, “Every team in the Great Basin plays high pressure, half-court defense, always trying to make you do something that you don’t want to do. It’s a tough league. Twin Falls is always one of the best teams, and Burley is right there.”
Nevertheless Wood River won two league games against Canyon Ridge last season and, by adding another league win, would become the first Wolverine team to win three league games in a season since coach Fred Trenkle’s 11-14 squad made the State 3A tourney in 2004.
Indeed, Wood River had won only two of 53 league games in five seasons between 2007-12 before winning their two games last winter.
“We have the goal to win as many league games as we can,” said Miles.
He added, “We’d like to finally beat Jerome and also win against Minico, and try our best to play Twin and Burley tough and give ourselves a chance to win at the end. And Canyon Ridge, well, they always play solid man-to-man defense.”
For the record, Wood River last defeated Jerome Jan. 4, 2006 at home during Trenkle’s final of three seasons, ending with an 8-14 mark. The Wolverines last recorded a winning basketball season in 1992.
Twin Falls (19-9 last season) won its second straight GBC title and third in four years 52-40 and 63-58 over upset-minded Burley (17-9), then the Bruins fell to Skyview of Nampa (23-3) 57-50 in the State 4A third-place game.
Burley went 0-2 at state, falling by 27 points to Skyview and by 26 to eventual consolation king Bishop Kelly.
All-State senior guard Alec Meyerhoeffer returns for the GBC favorite Twin Falls.
Here is the Wood River roster for 2013-14:
VARSITY
Head coach, Andy Miles (2nd year, 6-15). Assistant coach, J.C. Nemecek.
Seniors (2): Eron Bates, 6-3 forward; and Kevin Hernandez, 6-5 forward.
Juniors (7): Parker Bingham, 6-3 forward; Connor Hayes, 5-8 guard; Arthur Brugger, 6-3 guard/forward; Andrew Pearson, 5-9 guard; Jonathon Scott, 6-1 guard; Cody Carter, 6-3 guard/forward; and Douglas Mason, 6-3 guard/forward.
Sophomores (1): Alec Nordsieck, 6-1 guard.
JUNIOR VARSITY
Head coach, Steve Scott.
Juniors (2): Santiago Gomez, 5-10 guard; and Samuel Burns, 6-1 forward.
Sophomores (10): Nelson Cantrell, 5-7 guard; Lane Felger, 6-0 forward/center; Austin Shetler, 6-0 guard/forward; Jordan Bjorkman, 6-0 forward; Drew Kaminski, 6-1 forward; Nic Tidwell, 6-2 forward/center; Wesley Moore, 6-1 forward/center; Tyson Spellman, 6-1 center; Nico Gerhardt, 5-9 forward; and Steven Cesar Colis, 5-11 forward.
Freshmen (3): Travis Swanson, 6-0 forward; Cade Schott, 6-0 guard/forward; and Rolind Solis, 5-11 guard/forward.
FRESHMEN
Head coach, Chris Koch. Assistant coach, Lewis Garza.
Ninth graders (15): Brock Mary, 5-5 guard; Alex Chavez, 5-8 guard; Jose Hurtado, 5-4 guard; Jose Patlan, 5-7 guard/forward; Bodie Bennett, 5-6 guard; Roberto Chavez, 5-7 guard/forward; Miles Jones, 5-9 forward; Marc Cardona, 6-1 forward/center; Kyle Nelson, 5-8 forward; Owen Gifford, 5-9 forward; Jeron Peavey, 6-0 center/forward; Brendan Bingham, 5-11 forward; Zach Nelson, 5-11 forward; Brock Olson, 5-9 forward; and Fabian Contreras, 6-5 center.
2013-14 WRHS BOYS Basketball Schedule
A total 20 games on the regular-season schedule for the 2013-14 Wolverine boys; 10 home and 10 away. All home games at Wood River High School gym, Hailey. General admission $5. Wood River's home varsity/JV/frosh games are in bold type. Fourth District Great Basin Conference 4A games are marked with an asterisk (*). All home freshmen games start at 5:50 p.m. and JV 6 p.m. with varsity following at 7:30 p.m.
Varsity, JV, freshmen
| DATE, DAY |
OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
| Dec. 4, Wednesday |
Kimberly |
Home, 5:50/6/7:30 |
| Dec. 6, Friday |
Filer |
Away, 4:30/6/7:30 |
| Dec. 10, Tuesday |
Gooding (JV/V) |
Away, 6/7:30 |
| Dec. 12, Thursday |
Buhl |
Home, 5:50/6/7:30 |
| Dec. 18, Wednesday |
Minico* |
Rupert, 6/7:30 |
| Dec. 20, Friday |
Sugar-Salem |
Sugar City, 4:30/6/7:30 |
| Jan. 8, Wednesday |
Burley* |
Home, 5:50/6/7:30 |
| Jan. 10, Friday |
Kimberly |
Away, 4:30/6/7:30 |
| Jan. 14, Tuesday |
Sugar-Salem |
Home, 5:50/6/7:30 |
| Jan. 16, Thursday |
Twin Falls* |
Home, 5:50/6/7:30 |
| Jan. 18, Saturday |
Filer |
Home, 11:50/12/1:30 |
| Jan. 22, Wednesday |
Jerome* |
Away, 4:30/6/7:30 |
| Jan. 24, Friday |
Canyon Ridge* |
Twin Falls, 6/7:30 |
| Jan. 27, Monday |
Buhl |
Away, 4:30/6/7:30 |
| Jan. 29, Wednesday |
Minico* |
Home, 5:50/6/7:30 |
| Jan. 31, Friday |
Burley* |
Away, 6/7:30 |
| Feb. 5, Wednesday |
Twin Falls* |
Away, 6/7:30 |
| Feb. 7, Friday |
Jerome* |
Home, 5:50/6/7:30 |
| Feb. 12, Wednesday |
Canyon Ridge* |
Home, 5:50/6/7:30 |
| Feb. 14, Friday |
Gooding (Sr. Night) |
Home, 6/7:30 |
| Feb. 18, Tuesday |
Great Basin District 4A |
Site of higher seed, 7:00 |
| March 1, Saturday |
Great Basin tourney completion |
Higher seed, 7:00 |
| March 6, Thursday |
State 4A |
Borah High, Boise |
| March 8, Saturday |
State 4A championship |
The Idaho Center, Nampa |
NOTES—The 6-school Great Basin Conference 4th District (WR, Jerome, Burley, Minico, Twin Falls, Canyon Ridge) gets 2 berths in the State 4A tournament. The tournament winner and runner-up automatically qualify for state.….In opening-round 2014 State 4A match-ups at Borah High School in Boise, the Great Basin Conference champion plays the 3rd District (Boise area) third-place team; and the GBC tournament runner-up goes against the 3rd District (Boise area) champion....Booster athletic season tickets for all Wood River sporting events during the 2013-14 school year are available. Drop by the high school and see activities director John Rade. Senior citizens 65-and-over are admitted free.
