For the week of December 4 - 10, 2002

Wood River looks for winning mix

Boys start basketball season 
Thursday at home

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By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

Fourth-year Wood River High School boys’ varsity basketball coach Jeff Larson likes the mix of this year’s team. "We have decent size and above-average speed," he said.

Larson (12-55) hopes the 2002-03 Wolverine varsity, featuring six seniors and seven juniors, will cobble their talent and teamwork together and find a way to win at home.

Posing with head coach Jeff Larson (right) are seniors on this year’s Wood River High School boys’ varsity basketball team. From left, Tory Haavik, Dylan Welcome, Refugio Regalado, Max Dieffenbach, Paul Tinker and Jake Chaney, who is rehabbing a knee injury. Express photo by David N. Seelig

As the 20-game season winds down, fans will become aware that this is the final season the Wolverines will be playing their games in the 26-year-old gym that has featured many exciting games and hardcourt drama.

The new Wood River high school building and gym are rising day-by-day, a couple of long three-pointers away from the current gym. Winless (0-11) at home last winter, Wood River wants that to change, quickly.

Larson said, "We do feel a responsibility to the school and community to be competitive. These kids want to do well at home."

Wood River kicks off the season with non-conference home games against the Glenns Ferry Pilots Thursday, Dec. 5 on the Hailey floor.

After playing with seven sophomores and two juniors during last winter’s 1-20 campaign, Larson feels the Wolverines are ready to step up and start winning some games.

"We had a tough year last year," Larson said about a season in which Wood River dropped its first 13 games, lost its final seven and were outscored by an average 62-38.

He said, "It gave us a lot of motivation to play in the summer—and we played 19 games in the Oregon Prep League last March and 40 more in June and July. Now we feel like we belong in the varsity game."

Larson’s teams always keep close track of their goals. They strive to out-rebound their opponent, hold the other team to under 40% field goal shooting, go to the free throw line more and have fewer turnovers.

But Wood River’s #1 goal is more broadly defined. Larson said, "We want to be a team on-and-off the court. High school basketball is supposed to be a great experience, and what makes it fun is winning.

"As long as we’re working as hard as we can, then we can be satisfied."

Larson said he has been pleasantly surprised by the leadership of his seniors—Max Dieffenbach, Tory Haavik, Refugio Regalado, Paul Tinker and Dylan Welcome. Rehabbing a knee injury is another senior, Jake Chaney.

Post player Dieffenbach, 6-4 and 200 pounds, "has worked as hard as anyone to get better," Larson said. Shooting guard Haavik, at 5-9, "has really improved, worked hard on his outside shot and bought into the idea of being a team player," said Larson.

He didn’t play basketball last year, but 6-1, 218-pound forward Regalado will surprise some people, the coach said. "People are going to say, where was he? Refugio has good basketball instincts and nice hands. He can play down low and shoot the three."

Tinker, whose 3.2 ppg average is the highest of Wood River’s six returning varsity players, is a quiet leader who gained a ton of confidence on the baseball diamond last year.

Larson said, "Paul plays very aggressively and with no fear. His strong point is taking the ball to the basket and drawing fouls. On defense, he’s very scrappy."

The primary role of 6-0 Welcome will be defensive stopper. Larson said, "Dylan will help us because he’s so athletic. He’s a strong defensive player, so we’ll often put him on the other team’s best offensive guard."

Wood River’s seven juniors are Jason Hofman, Riley Neff, Joe Paisley, Matt Pruett, Luis Ruiz, Brian Ward and Jorge Giribet-Canto.

In Larson’s tenure as coach, Wood River hasn’t had a true post player. The team has also struggled at the point guard position the past two years and it has shown in Wood River’s 1-19 homecourt and 1-19 league record over two winters.

Hofman, at 6-7 and 185 pounds, is a true post player but he’s still learning the position, Larson said. "Jason was real young last year. He has learned a lot and worked on his game to improve footwork, coordination and balance. We need him to rebound and work on a couple of post moves."

Rebounding will also be the job of 6-2 Neff. "Riley is going to impress some people. He takes pride in rebounding the ball, and that will be his primary responsibility," Larson said.

The most pleasant surprise of pre-season practices since Nov. 15 has been the emergence of 5-11 foreign exchange student Jorge Giribet-Canto, a skilled striker for the 2002 Wood River soccer team. He’s a point guard, just what the doctor ordered.

"Our first look at Jorge was after soccer was over," said Larson.

"He passes the ball so well and is comfortable in an up-tempo game. Jorge has very good vision for a high school player and isn’t afraid to stick his nose in there on defense. He knows the game," the coach added.

A quick 5-5 point guard, Ruiz is a solid ballhandler. Larson said, "When pressured, Luis should be able to dribble past the defender and get us into our offense. He anticipates the passing lanes well, and should get us some steals when we need them."

Off-guard Pruett has grown to 6-1 and has matured through his positive experiences in track and football.

"Matt has carried some confidence over to the basketball court. He is a slasher type, with very good speed that will help on defense. We expect him to rebound for us," said Larson.

A competitor who always wants to win, Paisley (2.1 ppg) will alternate between point guard and #2 guard. And Brian Ward is a shooting guard like Haavik. Larson said, "Brian is quick on defense. We’ll be looking for him to shoot the ball as well."

The Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference race is likely to be hotly contested this winter—with the Declo Hornets leading the way. Last winter Declo (15-13) played its best basketball at the end of the season, winning the SCIC tourney and placing second in the state meet behind Snake River.

Using a strong work ethic, Wood River wants to play close games and find a way to win at the end.

Larson said, "With 12 guys, this is the deepest team I’ve had. And they really enjoy playing the game. We can match up big when we need to, and we have good quickness.

"Primarily we’ll use a motion offense. We’ll be a little creative and try to make things happen. We need to realize that it’s just as important to move without the ball as with it. We’ll work to be unselfish, create proper spacing and take our opportunities as they come.

"I’m excited about our defense. We have the size and quickness to be a good defensive team. We’ll play a lot of man-to-man, and also 2-3 when it’s called for. And we’ll probably press a little, primarily zone press.

"The #1 priority to be successful in basketball is to be good on defense. We realize that, and we’ll be aggressive and go out and play."

In all, 55 boys tried out for Wood River’s three teams this winter.

Returning junior varsity coach Steve Anderson has welcomed Scott Bohrer, Tyler Brown, Kory Ott, Jeremy Selcho, Ted Dankanyin, Jonathan Dittmer, Brady Femling, Dylan Fullmer, Billy Kramer, Jess Matey, Tyler Thiede and Craig Werley.

On the "C" team coached by Craig Eastop are Reno Christino, Michael Hesse, Derek Abbott, Huston Brashears, Spencer Flade, Casey Lane, Kyle Lubeck, Cooper McCroskey, Dusty Selner, Jesse Stark, Morgan Uhrig and Josh Van Dyck.

 

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