Central boys basketball season ends in first round of playoffs

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

The Central boys basketball team was once again undone by turnovers in its Feb. 14 first round playoff match-up against Edgewood-Colesburg, which ended in a 72-30 defeat.

That ended a four-win season of challenges, none bigger than missing players, as the team suffered the loss of defensive stalwart Elliot Kelly due to an ACL injury and, for a time, the offensive presence and leadership of Parker Vaughn. Throw in a random player here and there out for illness, and the “lack of numbers and lack of reliability” proved too costly, said head coach Brady Stramer.

“It’s hard to plan practices or have a game plan when you aren’t sure how many guys will show up or who will be there,” he said. 

Heading into last week’s game and understanding the tall task in front of his team, Stramer stressed teamwork and fundamentals, and let the players know they didn’t have to do superhuman things, but to simply focus on their assignment. 

“We just had to all do our jobs on each possession in order to put our best collective effort forward,” he said. 

The Warriors were down 10 points after the first period and kept that margin through the second period after making a small run and holding the Vikings to just three points before the half. 

The Vikings’ defense and depth wore down the Warriors in the second half, though. Central scored just nine points over the next two periods, while the Viking offense put up 31. 

As a team, the Warriors shot rather well, making 41.2 percent of all field goal attempts. They just couldn’t keep pace with the 67 percent shot by the Vikings, who made 33 shots total versus 14 for Central. That Central also went 1-9 on three-point shots and turned ball over 29 times didn’t help matters.

Leading scorer Dan McGreal was held to nine points. Seth Bena and Tate Berns added six points each, while Vaughn and Gabe Erickson had four points apiece. 

The offense also distributed well, finishing with 11 assists, including four from Corey Weber and two each by Bena, McGreal and Vaughn. 

Defensively, the Warriors grabbed 10 steals and blocks, but couldn’t stop the Viking passing game, which finished with 26 assists.

With the season over, the Warriors are expected to lose several players, most notably Weber, Vaughn and Bena. Stramer noted their leadership and dependability will be missed. 

“All three of them are great teammates that want the best for themselves and their teammates. Corey gave us constant energy on the defensive end that will be hard to find elsewhere, and Seth and Parker helped us a lot on the offensive end in terms of handling the ball and making shots,” he said.

As for the leadership vacuum that will develop in their absence, Stramer is confident in the underclassmen to transition into leadership roles, as well as an influx of freshmen to boost the overall lineup count. 

The lack of available players has long been a concern and is one of the more significant reasons the program suffered its fourth straight losing season. 

It also creates a competitive imbalance, which is something Stramer hopes can be reversed with the emergence of the youth basketball program that focuses on developing and preparing athletes before they get to the high school level. 

“As a coaching staff, we have put a lot of time into the youth programs over the past few seasons to hopefully close the gap by the time they enter high school. Having guys simply show up in November without picking up a basketball or lifting a weight in the offseason makes the gap too big to close in a matter of a few months. In order to be more competitive, we need more foundational skills built by the time they enter high school, and guys have to put the work in during the offseason,” Stramer added. 

According to Stramer, the team’s future includes a few core players returning, such as the “centerpiece” McGreal, an improved Berns, who returned this year after an ACL injury shortened last years campaign and, of course, Kelly, who Stramer is hopeful can make a return to the lineup. 

Then there is Caden Erickson and Korey Shantz, who saw increased minutes this season due to absences. Both players are expected to have an impact on the perimeter, defensively and offensively. Stramer also mentioned Charlie Wiedner, a senior next season, who will see an increased role on defense. 

All of the aforementioned players, as well as the underclassmen, will see their roles increase next season, and Stramer believes, if they hit the weight room and the gym, they should be successful in filling those roles. 

Stramer is thankful for the team’s participation and what they provide to the coaching staff and the community. 

“I can’t thank the core group of guys that continued to show up and be reliable throughout the season enough. It is a long season that can be a grind toward the end, especially when things aren’t going the way you’d like them to. They remained coachable and high quality teammates throughout the entire season, and because of that, we were able to continue to improve and find a way to get a few victories down the stretch,” he said. “Continuing to do your job when things seem bleak is a great life lesson that will bring them success beyond the world of basketball.”