Prepzone Hardcourt Preview 2017

ELM CREEKBOYS
CLEARWATER-ORCHARDBOYS
The Elm Creek boy’s basketball
squad is in prime position to
make a run during the 2017-18
season.
Not only are the Buffaloes
coming off an impressive 17-7
campaign, but five senior starters
return under tenured head coach
Tanner Cavenee.
In total, eight letterwinners will
return to the court, led by senior
guard Jaydn Ford, who posted
13.2 points and 4.2 assists a
game last year.
Complimenting Ford on the court
will be senior forward Anthony
Quintana, who averaged 5.8
points a contest last year.
Fellow seniors Nate Fields, Jerry
Brumels, and Lathan Jonak will
also be key contributors for the
Buffaloes once the season tips
off.
Some younger athletes could step
into big roles this season, as well,
as Cavenee said he expects big
things from sophomores Gage
Clabaugh, Lane Gutzwiller, and
freshman Trey Miner.
“Staying healthy and having
great leadership from five great
seniors that I enjoy coaching,”
Cavenee said about the keys to
a successful season. “Need to
break in some new rotational
players, but we expect some
great things from some of those
younger kids.”
TEAM FACTS
Team Name: Buffaloes
Class: D-1
2016-17 Record: 17-7
Playoff Appearances: 11
Head Coach: Tanner Cavenee
Career Record: 144-127
The Clearwater-Orchard boy’s
basketball team is coming off a
difficult 2016-17 season, where
the group finished 6-16 under
head coach Jim Schutt.
However, the Cyclones are set
up in 2017-18 to have a solid
bounce back campaign, and are
in position to make some noise in
Class D-1.
Clearwater-Orchard will return
five starters back to the hardcourt
this season, and will be led by a
talented and deep junior class.
Forward Liam Odell will be the
lone senior in the starting lineup
come the start of the season.
But he will be joined by junior
guards Blake Hoke and Chris
Kester, as well as junior forwards
Ryan Wilhelm and Jacob Long.
“We have five starters back. We
need to stay healthy and focused
to have a successful season,”
Schutt said. “Players put in a
good effort this summer.”
The season will tip off for the
Cyclones on Nov. 30 against St.
Mary’s.
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Team Name: Cyclones
Class: D-1
2016-17 Record: 6-16
Playoff Appearances: 19
Head Coach: James Schutt
ELM CREEKGIRLS
The Elm Creek girl’s basketball
squad is coming off an impressive
2016-17 campaign, which saw the
Buffaloes go 23-3.
The Buffaloes are reloaded under
tenured head coach Mike Ford, as
four starters will be back on the
roster.
However, Elm Creek lost Kenzie
Deyo, who earned all-conference
honors last season, to graduation.
“She was an excellent distributor
of the ball averaging 10 points per
game and nearly four assists,” Ford
said “Kenzie rewrote many of the
records in the assist column.”
The Buffaloes will rely heavily this
season on senior guard/forward
Claire Cornell, who averaged an
impressive 19 points and 11.5
rebounds per game in 2016-17.
Juniors Allie Bauer, who averaged
17.7 points and 5.8 rebounds, and
Madison Halliwell, who totaled 42
steals last year, will also play major
roles for Elm Creek.
“The young and inexperienced
kids will have the opportunity to
play, and playing time will depend
on their ability to acclimate to the
varsity pace of basketball,” Ford
added. “Offensively there will be
a learning curve for these younger
kids, but defensively I think that we
could be mobile and very disruptive
when we start communicating
and moving together as a team
and that will aid in our efforts to
find easy baskets. But our main
key to success will be to eliminate
mistakes by the kids that will be
picking up the slack of the exiting
seniors.”
TEAM FACTS
Team Name: Buffaloes
Class: D-1
2016-17 Record: 23-3
Playoff Appearances: 7
Head Coach: Mike Ford
Career Record: 122-101
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