Team returns four seniors, draws four matchups with ranked teams

By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

With four starters returning from last year, Marion boys’ basketball is looking to make an impact in head coach Terry Edwards’ first full year.

Despite being a new coach in technicality, Edwards worked with the team for several years as an assistant.

“It’s nothing new for them,” he said. “It’s my first year as a full head coach, but for the seniors, I’ve been here all four years.”

Between Edwards’ relationship with his team, and having seven returning letter-earners, he expects the team to have a leg up when the season starts.

The Warriors need every edge they can get.

They face a gauntlet from December to the early portion of January, with games against Hillsboro, Inman, and Hutchinson Trinity. All three are ranked in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association’s preseason top-10 for class 2A, but Marion has the luxury of two of those being home games.

The team has several big matchups, but one of the most anticipated is when the second-ranked Inman Teutons visit, four days into the new year, senior Chase Stringer said.

“The best game to come watch is probably going to be Inman,” he said. “We beat them in the first game last year, then we went there to play to get into substate and we lost by five.”

In addition to the Teutons, in-county neighbor Hillsboro comes to Marion Dec. 11.

For junior Jaxton Tracy, the Hillsboro game holds extra meaning. He switched schools from Hillsboro last year, so beating his old team would be that much sweeter, he said.

Their final game against a ranked opponent is Jan. 29, when they play at home against Sedgwick.

Given the amount of experience they have as a team, the Warriors expect to mesh well this year.

“We’re looking to make our chemistry better,” Chase said. “A lot of the varsity starters, we played summer ball together. We’ve had four years together.”

One of the best methods for a high-intensity practice is the KU shooting drill.

“It’s pretty fun,” Chase said. “Coach sets goals for us and we try to pick up the pace every time.”