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Team Preview: Whiteoak Wildcats

Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Though they lost some talent from last season, the 2011-12 Whiteoak boys basketball team is set to repeat the success of that season, with a sight in mind of making it back to the district tournament.
   
One season ago the Wildcats got on a hot streak in the postseason, even winning a multiple-overtime game in the sectional final to advance to the Convocation Center in Athens on the campus of Ohio University.
   
It was a season to remember … but it is now time for WHS to get back to work on the court if they want a repeat of those successes.
   
The Wildcats will carry around 15 players on the varsity squad with some sophomores on the bench as head coach Tom Wessner wants to play seven or eight players consistently this season.
   
"We want to get at least seven in the mix, but we'd like to get nine or 10, but that is difficult at the varsity level," he said.
   
WHS will have one senior in Wesley Stratton, who started all of last season. They were going to have two this year, but Kyle Cope was injured, tearing his ACL, so he will be unable to play this year.
   
The team lost four players from last year's district runner-up team which Wessner described as a hard-nosed group. The group of seniors for last season contributed nearly 30 points per game and were a big part of the Wildcats' defense.
   
The Wildcats will have a strong junior class with nine juniors. Those juniors include: Leonard Becraft, Doc Seip, Justin Butler, Luke Taggert, Jesse Bradds, Zach Docter, Gage Carraher, Blake Trublood and Graham Douglas. Sophomore will be Steven Meyers, Justin Emery, Nick Wardlow and Tyler Williams.
   
"We have a large junior class with three returning from varsity last year," Wessner said. "There is a cohesiveness to this team as they understand what we lost as far as rebounding, scoring and defense. The juniors this year realize it is their turn to step up, and they are really excited about this year.
   
"They are a lot more vocal this year and the communication is better between the players, and that is only going to benefit us."
   
In saying that, how would Wessner describe his team this season?
   
"They are hard-nosed, and they seem to pick up things quick as compared to the past couple years," Wessner said. "An explanation here or there carries over into the next practice and into the next day, so there isn't a lot of wasted time in rehashing things.
   
"Defensively, there are some things we need to work on, and there is some tweaking we have to do, but they are definitely gamers."
   
Last season wasn't only a year where WHS reached the district finals, but it was a year for the current junior to not only gain playing experience, but valuable playing experience in big and pressure-packed atmospheres during both the regular season and tournament.
   
"We were extremely lucky for our sophomores last year to have time to play, and they took full advantage of that," Wessner said. "While we are only bringing back one senior, we are bringing back four kids with varsity experience, and there are a lot of teams who would like to have that.
   
"It’s good for us and good for the kids. Zach Docter would have gotten some playing time last year too, but he was injured."
  
Wessner talked about how if his players have high expectations, then they know what they have to do to get there.
   
"These guys have gotten to a district final, and they understand how to get that far," he said. "Now, we’ve got to put it together, and if that is something they want to accomplish and have higher goals, they have to put the time and effort to do those things.”
   
The team just wants the season to arrive as they have put in a lot of work this offseason.
   
"They were excited the first day of practice, and once scrimmages are over, there will be another kind of excitement for the regular season," Wessner said. "Our offseason has been pretty good. We went to a team camp, and we got some things out of that which will help this year."[[In-content Ad]]

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