March 27
Will there be a boys basketball banquet this year?
Maybe. Well, make it a definite maybe.
But Braves head Coach Derrick Dengler didn’t want any more time to go by before he saluted and recognized the efforts of this year’s 25-3, Class 1A third place team.
So, call this a “virtual” banquet!” And you didn’t have to fix anything to eat or get dressed up to come!
“First, I want to thank our seniors, Brayden Arendt and Brody Chidester,” Dengler said.
“Their commitment to our program this year has been fantastic. Both are great young men who will be missed,” Dengler said.
“They left the program in a better place – as members of a third-place state tournament and conference championship teams.”
For that matter, they were on back-to-back SICL champion and state tourney teams!
“Two weeks ago, which feels like 100 years now, we ended our basketball season with a third-place finish in Class 1A,” Dengler said.
“As COVID-19 has shut down our school, I wanted to share some new records and other highlights from our season.”
Dengler said these team records were re-set:
Three-point goals in a season – 223.
Field goal percentage for a season – .534.
Free throw percentage for a season – .753.
Dengler said junior guard Trey Shearer was in on some new records:
Tied school record for season free throw percentage – 83 percent.
Total field goals for the season – 270.
All-time career assists – 341 (and counting!).
All-time scoring leader – 1,633 points (also, still counting!)
Sophomore post Eddie Burgess also is in on some records:
Single season rebounds record – 293.
Tied single-season mark for field goal percentage – 65 percent.
“I also wanted to highlight Coach Caleb Smith and our junior varsity team,” Dengler said. “These young men worked hard all season and improved.”
“I look forward to working with them this coming season,” said the coach.
Dengler also listed the various all-state, all-tournament, all-district and all-conference awards earned by the Braves. We have listed all of those earlier in separate stories.
Dengler thanked everyone connected with the program for their help and support.
The coach listed these upcoming Braves basketball opportunities:
The week of July 1-6:
Monday, 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Workout for high school players.
Wednesday, 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Workout for high school players.
Tuesday – 6:00 to 7:30 – Open gym with Coach Greg Long.
Monday, 12:30 p.m. 1:15 p.m. – Youth shooting (grades 4-8). This has been moved from a June date.