Red Hawks will be young this season, coach says

We work on things in practice to help out, and we will have to be creative in game planning.” DREW BLOCKER NEMO VISTA BOYS COACH

The Nemo Vista Red Hawks had a winning record last year, but their season was cut short. The Red Hawks lost to Shirley 44-43 in the first round of the regional tournament at Mount Vernon-Enola, ending their season at 22-16. They return two players who started games last year. They are seniors Ethan Hill and AJay Thompson. Thompson is listed as the team’s best inside player. “He works hard in the post and is physical,” second-year coach Drew Blocker said. Hill is the team’s best outside player, his coach said. “Ethan has the ability to shoot the 3, as well as put the ball on the floor,” Blocker said. The coach said this year’s team will be different from last year’s squad. “We have a very different team than we did a year ago,” he said. “We are excited to see what this new group can do.” Blocker said his team should shoot the ball better this season. “Our guard play will be a strong point as well,” he said. Size and rebounding are concerns for Blocker. “We work on things in practice to help out, and we will have to be creative in game planning,” he said. “This year, we will be young, and we hope to get better as the season progresses. We expect to be competitive in all of our games.” The Red Hawks opened the season Oct. 17 against Jasper. Schools that do not play football can start playing after the seventh week of football. Blocker said games with Wonderview will be ones to watch. “Wonderview games are usually always competitive because of the proximity and the relationships between the kids from both schools,” he said. Nemo Vista plays at Wonderview on Nov. 10, then hosts the Daredevils on Jan. 12. The Red Hawks play in a tough regularseason conference with Bigelow, Conway Christian, Guy-Perkins, Mount Vernon-Enola, Quitman, Sacred Heart, South Side Bee Branch, Conway St. Joseph and Wonderview. “I do not feel like there are any nights off in our conference,” Blocker said. “There are a lot of great coaches who have their teams well-prepared.”