Dufur Ranger players, pictured from left, Connor Uhalde, Kolbe Bales and Curtis Crawford, are key components of a veteran returning roster for the upcoming basketball season under head coach Ron Townsend. Coming off a 14-win campaign, the Rangers have goals of playing into March.
Dufur Ranger players, pictured from left, Connor Uhalde, Kolbe Bales and Curtis Crawford, are key components of a veteran returning roster for the upcoming basketball season under head coach Ron Townsend. Coming off a 14-win campaign, the Rangers have goals of playing into March.
DUFUR – With a new head coach on the sidelines, the Dufur Rangers have depth on the roster, a focused mindset and the appearance of an upstart hoops team that can make the big jump into the Baker City state mix in March.
It will take some time to figure out the new offensive and defensive philosophies put forth by coach Ron Townsend, and the team is just finishing up its first full week of practices due to its second consecutive state championship football campaign.
Townsend plans to build on that winning persona and chemistry implemented by the football program, with hopes of parlaying all those skills to the hardwood.
“I am looking forward to working with this group to see what they can accomplish, as they seem like a fine group of young men who will work hard to improve,” Townsend said.
Last season, the Rangers chalked up third-place honors in the Big Sky Conference with a 10-4 mark in league play and a 14-10 overall record.
Connor Uhalde, Bailey Keever, Travis Lucas, Kolbe Bales, Curtis Crawford, Tabor McLaughlin and Ethan Wetherbee are seven experienced returners.
Added to the returning core, the solid group of Tanner Masterson, Anthony Thomas, Derek Frakes, Joshua Brown, Abraham Kilby and Cole Morrison make up the rest of the players for a roster of 13.
Offensively, Dufur was led by the all-league backcourt of Uhalde and Keever, who both averaged 16 points per contest last season.
Townsend said that the preseason slate would be used to help develop a team identity, but he envisions the Rangers relying on their quickness since there are only two athletes who measure 6-foot-1-inch or taller.
“Our offense has changed a lot since last year,” Wetherbee said. “We plan on using our speed on the offensive break much more and we are focused on just doing the basic fundamentals of the game and doing the little things right. We, as a team, need to keep our minds on what we are taught and execute them.”
Lucas said the plan is to soak in the knowledge offered by Townsend and his assistant coach, C.S. Little, and while the offense has the potential to be on the same level it was last season, the pressure defensive plays planned by Townsend will be a top priority.
“My expectations for this team is for us to push harder than we ever have,” Lucas said. “We need to be great and show that we are tough defensively. We are doing a multitude of defenses and using our speed on the defensive side of the ball to help create some offensive opportunities.”
Heading into their district playoff berth last February, the Rangers strung together an impressive 5-1 streak and had some momentum at the most important part of the season, especially after a tough 1-5 start.
However, Dufur lost to South Wasco County and Horizon Christian in a pair of Big Sky district matchups to end the season.
When it comes to league action, Wetherbee sees Sherman, South Wasco County and Horizon Christian as some of the main threats.
The senior shooting guard feels that his team can jump in that mix, as long as they play team basketball.
“I believe those three teams are consistently good because of the coaching they receive and their work ethic,” Wetherbee said. “Basketball can be a burden to people with two, sometimes three games a week and one rest day. These teams are mentally tough and work as a cohesive unit to perform their best, night-after night.
“I see our team’s final game at the state championship tournament in Baker. The road will not be easy, as we have some top-tier teams in our league to compete against.”
The Rangers (0-1 overall), who lost their season-opener to Perrydale by a 53-43 score on Dec. 3, head to Lyle, Wash. for a non-league hoops game at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.
On Saturday, Dec. 17, Dufur hosts Klickitat, Wash. at 4:30 p.m.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.