White County Central itching for season to start

Members of the White County Central boys basketball team are ready to make their mark this year. Head coach Ryan Koerdt said his players have gained a ton of experience in the past two seasons and “are ready for their shot this year.” “These three classes have all been to the district championships in junior high, winning two out of three,” Koerdt said, “and after beating Earle last year in February and winning regionals, they are hungry to see what they can do this year.” The White County Central Bears have a couple of big bodies inside that could pose a legitimate threat, including returning starter Jagger Myers and Tanner Rickett. “Tanner can score with his back to the basket, and he is a terrific screener,” Koerdt said. “Ethan Jones is a long, rangy player who can play inside and out, and Landon Swindle is a fundamental player who can also play inside and out.” The coach said returning starter Marlin Carder and Tyler Dickerson will lead the way at the perimeter. “Weston Hayes is a great athlete and has developed into a great playmaker,” Koerdt said. “Dillon Hopkins is a dead-eye shooter, and no one will play harder than him.” The coach said Hunter Jackson is a terrific slasher and has been spending this offseason working on his ball-handling and shooting. Koerdt said Jackson has improved his shooting enough to raise his college stock. “Dillon Hopkins is only a sophomore, but he has a high ceiling,” Koerdt said. “Weston Hayes is extremely dynamic at all three levels on offense, and Marlin Carder is just deceivingly good,” the coach said. “Ethan Jones and Jagger Myers may be undersized for their positions, but both are great high school ballplayers. “All of these guards can guard the ball and are very physical.” White County Central finished 32-8 last year. “It is the same story this year for us,” Koerdt said. “We have exceeded or gone one step further each and every year in my tenure here. “We will have to crash the boards on both ends each and every game.” One of the biggest weaknesses this year for White County Central will be the team’s lack of height, the coach said. “We have several guys over 6 feet, but we have been accustomed to having dominant post players the past five years,” Koerdt said. The coach said he expects every game to be tough, but the games against Quitman, Earle and Dermott will be some of the ones to definitely watch.