As the season gets rolling, the basketball Hawklets will look to get over the hump after a district runner-up finish last year. The Hawklets will look for eight seniors and five underclassmen to contribute to a consistent two-way team.
Last season, the team posted an 11-14 record and clawed their way from a 7-seed all the way to the district championship game. The team epitomized heart and hustle by taking pride in diving for loose balls, taking charges and winning on the defensive end. The team this year will look to play with the same principles.
“We’re a tough team. We believe that,” said junior guard George Effertz. “Coach Thomas always stresses that there isn’t a team that is going to out-work us. This group is going to win the tough games on defense. We’re going to be working hard from the tip to the end.”
The Hawklets will seek to play an inside-out style. Looking to initially get it into big guys like Andrew Sprague, Thomas Coppinger and Kevin Sullivan before kicking it out to shooters for open looks.
“I’m just hoping I can help the team in the post. I have to be eager to bang with guys inside and set the tone down low,” said Sullivan, a sophomore. “After we establish our presence in the trenches, it’s easier to get our shooters open shots. The easier they can get it in, the better we’ll be together.”
Coach Thomas teaches his guards to feed the post, then look to cut and find open space to take their shot.
“We try to find a way to make the defense play a lose-lose game. Either give up good post looks, or give up good shots on the perimeter,” said senior Braden Lamley. “We have the most fun when everybody gets in on the action and feels satisfied with their contribution.”
Team members say they feel the most in-sync they have in years. Several players have been playing with their current teammates since they could put the ball in the hoop. With only two seniors on the team last year, many younger players were given the opportunity to play at the varsity level and gain valuable lessons regarding their teammates’ style of play and what it takes to win.
“We’ve been playing together since the summer and learning each others’ tendencies. But I know I’ve been playing with some of these guys since kindergarten, we’ve developed a bond that’s deeper than just friendship,” said senior guard Cooper Scott.
Rockhurst basketball hopes to ride these connections and style of play to a district championship, and even beyond. The Hawklets’ unlikely run last year came to an end in the district championship game against the Lee’s Summit West Titans.
“They’re the same team, they didn’t lose many seniors and neither did we,” senior guard Brady Maher said. “Our goal right now is to get our get-back. The more prepared we are when we face them, the better chance we have so we have to compete everyday to make each other the best we can be.”
This year, the Hawklets will face big rivals, like Bishop Miege, St. Thomas Aquinas, and, of course, Shawnee Mission East. Both the East and Miege games are on the road this year, something this group is excited about.
“I love playing away games. Rockhurst is the biggest game on everyone’s schedule and their fans show up like it,” said senior point guard Luke Johnson. “I love sucking the energy out of the other [team]. I feel like we play better when we have to prove something.”
The basketball Hawklets started the season with a pair of strong wins, a dominant 73-49 victory over Ruskin, then topped Liberty North 46-32. They suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday when they fell to Olathe West 56-43.
The team is currently participating in the Blue Springs School District Tournament. They won their first game Thursday 61-34 over Bentonville (Ark.). They play Blue Springs South Friday evening at 5:30 at Blue Springs High School.
