By Chelsey Allen
Sophomores Ike Kastner, Gabe Vervynct, and Kyser McCrammer along with Assistant Coach Michel. Photo by: Pauline Dagaas
Basketball is one of the most attended sports at PHS. With the new boys basketball season getting ready to start, it’s going to be one of the most attended sporting events. With the new season getting ready to start, many players are looking forward to being successful on the court.
A basketball team always needs a coach who emulates leadership qualities, effectiveness in making plays and who put in endless hours forming a team; PHS has such a coach. Coach Kevin Stuckmeyer says some of his challenges are doing what is best for the program, coaches, and all the players that are involved.
The players on the team are also the most important since both defense and offense run the plays. Sophomore Kyser McCrammer says “the offense and the defense is doing pretty well, but defense is one of the strongest areas of the team.” To have a good offense and defense the teams needs ongoing practice. McCrammer says, ” we practice a lot. Unless we have a game, we practice every day right after school until six and most Saturday mornings.”
There has been a few changes since last year. “This year’s team is much younger than last year’s,” says McCrammer. Their hopes are still high even with a young team. McCrammer’s hopes this year are to win the conference and go far in the tourney. To do this, they must beat one of their biggest rivals, Warsaw. They hope to beat them by practicing a little harder, and learn as much as they can about them.
Although players learn new things each day while on the court, so can a coach. Coach Stuckmeyer says, ” You always learn as a coach, and how to motivate players.” Coach Stuckmeyer says he has been coaching for five years total and three years with the varsity team. In the five years of coaching, he says his greatest accomplishment while coaching is watching the players develop, grow and over achieve by being the team they should.