By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

After trying to fill the shoes of six graduates last season, Centre High boys coach Richard Idleman is thankful to have five returning seniors this year.

They are Aidan Svoboda, Braxton Smith, Dalton Stika, Jacob Hird, and Jensen Riffel.

Junior Lane Methvin is a sixth returning letterwinner.

Last year’s team finished the season at 9-12 overall and 5-4 in the Wheat State League.

Riffel, a 6-footer, will be a power forward, and Smith will play center. Svoboda and Methvin will be guards, and Hird will be the point guard.

Stika is the biggest player on the team at 6 feet 10 inches tall. He is still recuperating from a football injury, but Idleman is hoping he will be released to play basketball by the first game. When he returns, he will be a guard.

“It’s important that we stay out of foul trouble,” Idleman said.

He wants the remaining team members to get as much playing time on the junior varsity level as possible, to build their experience and improve their performance. He will need some of them to support the varsity team from time to time.

Mathew Madron, Tyler Nickel, Cameron Spohn, and Dakota Gardner are juniors.

Keegan August, Quinten Bina, Luke Hudson, Kyle Peterson, Mikey Silhan, and Tanner Stuchlik are sophomores. Matthew Basore is the lone freshman.

Idleman is confident that his experienced starters will benefit the team and help them overcome a limited bench.

They will play at Bennington on Dec. 6.