BOYS
Coach: Mike Barton
21-22 Record: 14-13
The Yellowjackets bring a lot of excitement and hope into this basketball season. After having their season end a year ago on a one-point loss in regionals, they bring back a loaded roster and head coach Mike Barton says that his squad will be good on both ends of the court. “We have a lot of depth coming back from last year’s team,” Barton said. “We have our two leading scorers back along with seven guys that got a ton of experience last year. We should be very balanced with good post play along with some guys that can knock down some three-pointers. Defensively we will be very aggressive should be able to force teams into some uncomfortable situations.” The team’s returning leading scorer is Kaden Pettus (6-5, Sr.), who averaged 11.4 points per game last season. He can play inside or outside very effectively. He has great post moves inside the paint but can also stretch the floor with his shooting range from outside.
Austin Houk (6-4, Sr.) is the team’s other senior. He is a strong competitor and will play any position and take on any role that will help his team. A player with a lot of potential is Jax Bernard (5-10, So.), who can shoot it well, take it to the rim, and is a coachable kid. Last season as a freshman, he was asked to do a lot for the team and this year he will be asked to do even more. Though he was just a freshman last season, Boden Miller (5-11, So.) was one of the Yellowjacket’s most consistent three-point shooters and he will look to take on a bigger role this season. Brant Strader (6-0, Jr.) continues to see his role increase each season. He came off the bench as a freshman and last season, he worked his way into the starting lineup. He will be an important part of the team’s success this year. Though he has dealt with injuries the past two years, Reed Martens (6-4, Jr.) never lost his positive attitude and cheered on his teammates and coaches. Other players to keep an eye out for are Bryce Ramay (6-1, Jr.), Gauge Cottrill (6-2, Jr.), Riley Nelson (6-3, Sr.), and Easton Hamar (6-2, So.).