Kingfisher looks to build off championship foundation
KINGFISHER — It wasn’t a huge adjustment for Jett Sternberger to go back to point guard after playing quarterback.
After all, he never really left the gym.
As the boys basketball season starts to rev up, Sternberger and his fellow Kingfisher teammates are looking to build off the momentum from the team’s Class 4A championship last year, despite replacing three starters from that squad.
“I think we can be really good,” Sternberger said. “It might take us some time to get some experience under our belt. But I think we have some really great guys on this team, and we could go far.”
Most coaches around the state seem to agree.
Despite starting two freshman and having no seniors on the team, Kingfisher is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by coaches on ossaarankings.com.
Coach Jared Reese said while he thinks the team will endure some growing pains, the return of juniors Sternberger and Trey Green can’t be understated.
“It’s a big deal to have those two back,” Reese said. “That’s at least 35 points a game between those two and two state champions to help the younger guys along.”
Sternberger helped convince Green to play football this past season, and the two quickly proved their on-court cohesion transferred to the gridiron.
Green finished with nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns, all from Sternberger passes as the Yellowjackets finished with a 9-3 record.
Even during football, the duo was still preparing for hoops. As soon as the two would finish practicing fly patterns, they spent the remainder of an evening working on their jump shot.
“We are just really good friends and have good chemistry,” Sternberger said. “Anyway we can help each other get better we do it. We are always challenging each other to be better.”
Green and Sternberger are a lethal combination from 3-point range, combining to hit more than 140 3-pointers last season at a 45 percent clip.
“They are both extremely hard workers,” Reese said. “They are gym rats who never want to stop playing. That’s what separates them.”
Reese said they’ll look to play faster this season with the addition of some athletic freshmen.
Matthew Stone, a move-in from Deer Creek, and Bijan Cortes have filled two of the starting roles as well as junior Reece Lafferty.
Reese said after winning the school’s first basketball title last year, the town is buzzing with excitement to see what’s in store this season.
“The kids know there are high expectations on them,”Reesesaid.“Butthat makes it more enjoyable every night. Our crowds have been better than ever, and the town and community are really excited to see what we can do.”