PAGE 3 WINTER SPORTS 2015 ? PRESS & DAKOTAN • PLAIN TALK Bucks Look For Big Things From Smaller Lineup BY JEREMY HOECK jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net Size hasn’t been an issue for the Yankton High School boys’ basketball team in recent seasons. Guys like J.J. Hejna, Brady Hale, Matt Fitzgerald and Evan Greeneway had allowed the Bucks to play an insideout style predicated on those post players doing their job under the basket. That’s not going to be the case this season. No, the Bucks – winners of 14 games last season – are going to have a new look. “I think we might have one of the smallest teams in the state,” senior Bradey Sorenson said. “But we can make up for that with our quickness and our defense. “That’s going to be a big asset for us.” Yankton, led by head coach Chris Haynes (35-35 in three seasons), isn’t exactly void of post players, it just doesn’t come into the season with many experienced post players. “We’re going to be a different team,” Haynes said. “There’s nothing wrong with being smaller, that just means you’ll have to play a little different.” Injuries to Reid Sawatzke and Keenan LaCroix, who are both out for the season, also mean the Bucks will have to rely on some new faces for significant roles. In addition, Nate Stephenson is battling an injury to start the season. “We thought we’d have a really experienced team, but it’s amazing what a couple injuries can do,” Haynes said. “That will be something that will be different for us and something we’ll have to adjust to.” In all, Yankton has only three of the seven players who took the court in last season’s final game back for BASKETBALL Dec. 11 Dec. 15 Dec. 17 Dec. 19 Dec. 22 Jan. 2 Jan. 9 Jan. 12 Jan. 16 Jan. 19 Jan. 23 Jan. 26 Jan. 28 Feb. 2 Feb. 9 Feb. 11 Feb. 13 Feb. 19 Feb. 20 Feb. 23 Feb. 27 March 1,4 March 8 March 17-19 at Mitchell 8 p.m. vs. Brookings 8 p.m. at Harrisburg 8 p.m. at Brandon Valley 7 p.m. at S.F. Washington 7:30 p.m. vs. Pierre 6 p.m. at Aberdeen Central 5 p.m. vs. S.F. Lincoln 8 p.m. at Watertown 7 p.m. at S.F. O’Gorman 7:30 p.m. vs. Huron 6 p.m. at Brookings 8 p.m. vs. Harrisburg 8 p.m. vs. S.F. Roosevelt 8 p.m. vs. Brandon Valley 8 p.m. at Huron 8 p.m. at Pierre 7 p.m. vs. Aberdeen Central 7 p.m. vs. Watertown 6 p.m. vs. Mitchell 8 p.m. District 2AA Play-In 7 p.m. District 2AA 7 p.m. Region 1AA 7 p.m. State AA at Sioux Falls the 2015-16 season. Leading the way is senior guard Tanner Frick, who will be counted on for additional responsibilities on both ends of the court. “We’re pretty small, but with the offensive we’re running, we should be able to make some plays off that,” Frick said. “This year we changed it up quite a bit, but I think we’ll be alright.” Players like Frick, Sorenson and fellow senior Blake Savey are going to be counted on for increased scoring loads this season, according to Haynes. “We’ll have to do some different things offensively, because the last few years we could just throw it down into the post,” Haynes said. “We still want to get it down there, but we’ll have to do some different things.” With not much height to work with, the Bucks are also going to have to find ways to defend some of the bigger post players in the Eastern South Dakota Conference and across Class AA. It might be a matchup thing, to determine who plays the post and how Yankton defends, Haynes said. He pointed to J.J. Payer and Syd Boots as two other players who will be counted on down low. “Especially defensively, we’ll have to get after it because we’re not going to be that big,” Frick said. Yankton also moved up seventh-grader Matthew Mors to the varsity ranks this season, and he could see time right away off the bench, Haynes said. “Obviously it’s a unique situation,” the coach said. “It’s not something we normally do in Yankton, bringing up a middle schooler. “But we thought, number one, with his physical size, and number two, his basketball skills and maturity that he was ready to compete at the high school level.” Since Haynes took over the program in 2012, the Bucks have twice lost in the region final (one step from state) and reached the state tournament in 2014. Getting back to that point won’t be easy, he said. “I know we’ve got good seniors, and any time you have good seniors, you have a chance,” Haynes said. “They all work hard, they’re coachable. And with their leadership, we’ve got a pretty good chance.” “We had some adversity in football, so I think we can handle that pretty well as long as we stick together,” Sorenson said. Yankton’s schedule is back-loaded with home games this season. The Bucks, who start with four of their first five on the road, will be at the Summit Center for six of their final eight regular season games. Follow @jhoeck on Twitter Yankton’s Tanner Frick More Experienced Bucks Squad Expect Better Showing BY JEREMY HOECK jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Dec. 5 edition of the Press & Dakotan. It has been updated to reflect the ongoing season. Last season, the Yankton High School wrestling team had three state qualifiers. That number could have been significantly higher – eight others came within one win of reaching state – but the foundation was set in place for what could be a successful 2016 season. “I think we can be that underdog team that people aren’t going to expect,” said first-year head coach Riley Smith, who was promoted after Ryan Hage resigned to become the boys’ tennis coach. Yankton, which opened its season at the Watertown Dual Tournament on Dec. 5, returns all three state qualifiers and seven of the eight wrestlers who came up just short. Leading the way will be senior Spencer Huber, who was the third-place wrestler at 126 pounds in Class A. He enters the season with a career record of 142-37, which is three wins shy of the Yankton’s Brock Folkers program record, and could break that record today. Huber will be joined by fellow state tournament qualifiers Cody Vornhagen (senior, 113) and senior Brock Folkers (senior, 195). “I think we’re looking a pretty good season, maybe one of the best I’ve been a part of,” Huber said. “We’ve got seven seniors, all on varsity, so I think those guys should be able to lead us and win us some duals.” The other seniors on the roster are Bashir Abdalkreem, Jamee Bruegman, Zach Hanzlik and Jordan Lucht. They were thrust into a leadership position a year ago because of the makeup of Yankton’s roster, according to Smith. “They had a lot of good opportunities to learn that leadership role as a junior because we didn’t have any seniors last year,” Smith said. “Now this year, they’re keeping going with that. “We’ve been very fortu- nate to have that.” The Bucks will return Abdalkreem, junior Luke Lammers, Bruegman, Lucht, sophomore Ray Wermers, sophomore Cole Diedrichsen and sophomore Reese Anderson from that group that came up just short of reaching the state tournament last season. “They’ve got more experience, they’ve got that taste of blood, they want to get after it this year,” Smith said. “I’m really looking forward to YHS WR | PAGE 4 A fabulous dining experience featuring: • Steak, Seafood and Pasta, plus Fresh Salads • Great Certified Angus Beef Burgers • Full Service Bar with Over 20 Wines • 6 TVs and 10 Beers on Tap in the Bar I’m Hungry! Let’s go to Minervas. 665-1447 1607 E. 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Roosevelt 5 p.m. Jan. 9 Brandon Valley Tourn. 9 a.m. Jan. 15 vs. Aberdeen Central/ Brandon Valley 5 p.m. Jan. 16 Harrisburg Inv. 10 a.m. Jan. 19 vs. Watertown 7 p.m. Jan. 23 Pentagon Tourn. 9 a.m. Jan. 29 vs. Huron 6 p.m. Jan. 30 Brookings Inv. 9 a.m. Feb. 2 at Mitchell/vs. Harrisburg 5 p.m. Feb. 6 Yankton Inv. 9 a.m. Feb. 12 at Pierre 5 p.m. Feb. 13 Huron Inv. 10 a.m. Feb. 18-19 Region 2A 5 p.m./6 p.m. Feb. 26-27 State at Rapid City ONE MUST STAY HUNGRY. WHEN HUNGRY, ONE MUST DINE! • Truck Repair • 3507 E. Hwy 50 Yankton Garden of Memories Cemetery 2901 Douglas Yankton 605-665-3644 Dec. 5 Dec. 8 TO WIN, VARILEK Daily Specials WRESTLING This is the story... That covered an event ... That your child was featured in... That created a lasting memory! Framed $ Pages 59. 95 Proceeds go to local Newspapers in Education program PRESS&DAKOTAN Y A N K T O N D A I LY 319 Walnut, Yankton • 665-7811 • www.yankton.net