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Patriots young but
ready
Team photo by Danny Stockton, stocktonstudios.com
Tri-Village Boys Basketball…
By George Starks
NEW MADISON- When Drew Moore was lost to graduation last year,
Tri-Village coach Josh Sagester had to make some changes and do it in a
hurry.
“When Drew graduated, we lost about 75 percent of our scoring,” said
Sagester. “It’s always tough to replace your all-time leading scorer so
we will be a very different team this year.”
With just one senior on the squad this year, Evan Barger, the patriots
look will be totally different than it has in the last four years.
Height will be the one thing the Patriots will feature.
Barger and junior Andrew Wilcox comes in at 6-6 while sophomore Tyler
Cook stands 6-5. In addition, Sagester has one at 6-3 and one at 6-2.
No shortage in the post position as well as the forwards.
“We are bigger and a little bit stronger,” Sagester said. “Last year we
were more of a finesse, perimeter oriented team. This year, we are
going to pound the ball down into the post and get back to the way we
used to be. We are going to try to do things the way we did it when
David Barger, Ryan Buck and Corey Jay played. So we are looking to
start scoring in the paint again.”
At guard for the Pats will be Kyle Pipenger, who was all Conference in
the Cross County Conference.
“Everything will be going through Kyle,” Sagester pointed out. “We also
have Matt Werner who was on the 20-0 junior-varsity team last year and
he is solid at the guard position. We have the pieces we need to know
who we can count on when the lights are on.”
One of the hardest things Sagester may have to deal with is the lack of
seniors on the team. With one senior and six juniors, it could be tough.
“The lack of seniors will be difficult,” Sagester said. “We don’t have
a lot of counted on minutes out there other than Kyle and Evan. Evan is
a lead by example person and not that vocal. Our vocal leaders are my
juniors so I will be looking to them for that vocal leadership on the
floor when the lights come on.”
With basketball being the prime sport in Patriot nation, losing has
never been an option. Sagester’s kids may be young but they know how to
win.
“We have some proven winners on this team and you can’t put a price tag
on that,” admitted Sagester. “Either you know how to win or you find
ways to lose and that’s easier said than done.”
A year ago, the Pats were never out of games but were never able to get
over the hump.
“We had a lot of close games last year that we found a way to lose.
Some of those games were overtime and double-overtime losses,” Sagester
pointed out. “I think we are going to be good but it’s hard to say how
good.”
A year ago, the Patriots opened up at Franklin Monroe. A game the Pats
should have won but ended up losing in double-overtime as well as
losing in DOT to Ft. Recovery.
“If we are going to make a statement, we have that chance on opening
night with Franklin Monroe,” Sagester said. “I think we are a team that
will have to be dealt with this year. I think we are going to find ways
to win after finding ways to lose last year. I think the conference
goes through Miami East because they won the conference last year and
was undefeated in the CCC. So until someone beats them, it all goes
through them. We beat FM and we are setting the tone for our season..”
Tri-Village will open at home with the Jets on Dec. 2 and then will
play at National Trail on Dec.3.
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