2021-22 Boys Basketball
Here is a capsule look at the area boys basketball teams. A similar look at girls teams will appear in Tuesday’s edition.
ST. MARYS ROUGHRIDERS
Coach: Dan Hegemier (9th season total)
2020-21 Record: 16-7 Postseason: def. Napoleon 7147; def. Wauseon 58-48; Lost to Shawnee 65-52 in district final.
Outlook: The Roughriders have seven returning lettermen and six seniors.
The seniors are Andrew Moore, Kyle Steininger, Braeden Hemmelgarn, Brandon Bowers, Gavin Reineke and Ryan Meier.
Another big piece -- literally -- is junior center Austin Parks. Parks, who stands 6-foot-10, has received a number of vista and scholarship offers from programs around Ohio and elsewhere.
Moore, Reineke, Hemmelgarn, Bowers, and Parks are the letterwinnes, along with junior guard Brayden Sullivan and sophomore center Jace Turner.
Hegemier said that the Roughriders do have size and athleticism. One area that will be worked on is the guard play.
Offensively, he plans to run motion and use some two-guard fronts, while defense will see mainly the use of man-to-man, along with matchup zones when needed.
He said the team’s objectives are to “do the best we can” and make a good run in the postseason.
MINSTER WILDCATS
Coach: Michael McClurg (6th season)
2020-21: 9-0 MAC, 20-4 overall
Postseason: def. Ridgemont 74-36; Lost to New Bremen 4039 in district semifinal.
Outlook: The Wildcats bring back three lettermen in senior forward Johnny Nixon and Zach Fortman as well as Austin Wellman at guard.
McClurg said that the teams’ strengths include being able to guard people and using their height and athletic ability.
“We will be an inexperienced team, a young team. but I also think we have some puzzle pieces we can fit together as the season goes,” said McClurg. New faces include exchange student Noah Piipari and freshman guard Brogan Stephey.
He said that “we have a lot of good kids” and he hopes to be playing at the best at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. The main goal “is to get better every day.”
NEW BREMEN CARDINALS
Coach: Cory Stephens (3rd season)
2020-21: 6-3 MAC, 19-9 overall
Postseason: def. Ada 64-48; def. Marion Local 63-55 (OT); def. Minster 40-39; def. St. Henry 47-41; def. Antwerp 51-43 (OT); Lost to Columbus Grove 50-48 in regional final.
Outlook: New Bremen brings back several players from last year’s team that made a dramatic postseason run. There are five lettermen which includes senior guards Trevor Bergman and Nick Alig; senior forward Reece Busse; senior post Nathan Rindler and junior guard David Homan.
Others expected to contribute include guards Aaron Thieman, Ben Wells and Tate Roetgerman as well as forwards Grant Wilker, Colten Muether and Dylan Bambauer.
Stephens said the team will “read and react” on offense and put players in spots as needed based on the defense. One area of focus will be shooting at a higher percentage from both the field and the free-throw line.
Defensively, New Bremen will employ man-to-man and work to extend the pressure. “We will try and get after it,” said Stephens.
NEW KNOXVILLE RANGERS
Coach: Caron Manger (1st season)
2020-21 record: 1-8 MAC, 5-17 overall
Postseason: Lost to Fort Recovery 65-61.
Outlook: The Rangers are under the director of Manger, who played at New Bremen (2012-15) and went on to play at Lake Superior State. He served one year as an assistant for the Bowling Green women’s team.
The Rangers bring back four lettermen -- seniors Carson Bierlein, Max Henschen and and
Ryan Osborne plus sophomore Tyler Lammers. Parker Banner is the team’s other senior and Ashton McMurray is the lone junior.
Manger said that the team’s strengths will be at guard play. “We will try and open it up and let them play,” he said.
Another area of focus will be creating ball pressure on defense and finishing possessions.
He said the Rangers will use “a little bit of everything” on offense and defensive setups will depend on the opponent. As a new coach, he said the goals are to help the players improve each day, and stick to the fundamentals.