By BUTCH HARMON
Two years ago, the Laingsburg boys basketball team made an amazing run to the Class C state title game. Given the way that this season has started, Wolfpack fans are hoping for another memorable postseason run.
The team is off to a sizzling start. As of mid January, the Wolfpack were 7-0 and ranked third in the state in Class C.
The key to success this season is that Laingsburg is allowing opponents just 37 points per game and is averaging 10 steals per game. “Our strength of this year’s team is our defense,” said coach Dan Blemaster. “Our goal is to pressure teams into taking bad shots or turning over the ball. So far this year, we have done a great job of that.”
Hard work has gone into making the defense strong. “We are happy with the effort we are giving at the defensive end,” Blemaster said. “Our goal this year was to be the hardest-working team on the floor and cause havoc for our opponent. We are proud of what we have accomplished so far but not satisfied; there is a lot of work left to be done.”
On offense, senior Ryan Wade has been the team’s leading scorer. He is averaging 17.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. “Ryan has been a great leader for us on and off the floor,” Blemaster said. “He makes everyone around him better players.”
Senior forward Cole Franks is second on the team in scoring, with 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. “Cole’s experience and length have built him into one of our best defensive players,” Blemaster said. “He usually draws the other team’s best player.”
Junior forward Jake Rouse is averaging 5.3 points per game and 1.4 steals per game. “Jake is our most improved player from last year,” Blemaster said. “He has been a spark for us defensively. His length and jumping ability have caused problems for other teams. He is our Energizer Bunny; his motor never stops going.”
Sophomore guard Bryson Mitchell is adding 7.2 points per game. “Bryson is our best pure shooter,” Blemaster said. “He comes off the bench and gives us a spark offensively. He is a great zone-buster shooter.”
Laingsburg will be looking to build on its early success as the season heads into the final month and the state tournament approaches. “We are excited to see if we can make another big run in this year’s tournament,” Blemaster said. “Districts will be very tough to win this year. In our first game, we will be playing a team for the third time, and if we can find a way to win, we will most likely meet up with Carson City-Crystal in the finals, who are very high-ranked in the state. If we can find a way to win districts, we like our chances, because we will be playing teams who don’t really know anything about us. I think our defense can surprise a lot of teams in the tournament.”