Team: Bancroft-Rosalie-Lyons-Decatur
Mascot: Wolverines
Colors: UCLA Blue, Black, and Gold
Class: C-2
Conference: East Husker
Head Coach: Cory Meyer (4th season) (54-24 record)
Returning Starters: 2
Overview:
The BRLD Boys Basketball Team returns 2 starters and a host of contributors from last year's 15-11 team. Head Coach Cory Meyer. "Returning Starters that we have from last year is Trent Gatewood (SR) and Kenyan Lovejoy (SR). And for those that helped contribute last year was also like Hunter Ferguson (SR), Nick Ronnfeldt (JR), Jaxon Johnson (SO), Michael Snyder (SR), Will Gatzemeyer (SO), did I say Darwin Snyder (SO)?"
The Wolverines are relatively young this season.
Meyer says 28-29 kids are out for the team this year and that things are going well in year 2 of the Co-op so those are good signs.
I'm glad to see there's a lot of interest and participation again this year because the more players there are the more competitive practices and things of that sort tend to be with players fighting for playing time and stuff like that.
Gatewood and Lovejoy need to step up and be leaders and big contributors for BRLD.
The Wolverines need everyone to step up and contribute and understand and play their roles to the best of their ability.
BRLD has to get after things offensively and defensively, and run the floor, take good shots, convert easy lay ups in transition and in the half court offense, and get to the free throw line.
The Wolverines also must pressure the ball and play tight, in your face defense, put a hand in the shooter's face, and stay out of foul trouble.
BRLD has to come ready to work and play hard every time they take to the floor this season.
This team may be young, but the Wolverines can't use youth as an excuse for not doing well.
BRLD has to embrace the mixture of young and older talent they have this season, and allow it to lead to success.
The Wolverines have to roll with the guys they have, and maximize and play up to their potential.
BRLD is definitely capable of having a successful campaign, but the Wolverines have to improve every time they take to the floor and keep getting better as the season progresses.
You either get better or worse throughout the season. You don't stay the same.
So knowing that BRLD has to bring it every time they take to the floor this season.
Season Outlook:
BRLD hopes to be good this year. Meyer says a lot of talented, younger players will see the floor for the Wolverines. "We're going to be playing quite a few young guys, and nice thing about them is that not just because they're young, but they have a lot of energy with them. And Basketball IQ's pretty high there. And I'm excited to have those younger guys play with the older guys, and it could be a really fun dynamic."
I think the Wolverines might need to rely on the veteran guys at the start of the season before the younger kids get acclimated.
It might take some time for BRLD's young guys to figure things out, but once they settle in and find their groove this team should take off.
The biggest thing for the Wolverines is playing within themselves. BRLD has to just play their game and not try and do too much.
Tough games on the schedule for the Wolverines appear to be against Omaha Nation, Howells-Dodge, defending State Champion Ponca, West Point-Beemer, Oakland-Craig, Mead, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Winnebago, Wisner-Pilger, and Logan View/Scribner-Snyder.
I think BRLD will have an easy time beating the teams they're supposed to, but can the Wolverines knock off some of the tough teams on their schedule? I think that question remains to be seen.
If anything I think playing these tough teams will get these kids prepared for what lies ahead.
BRLD is in Sub-District C2-3 with Omaha Nation, Homer, Wakefield, and Oakland-Craig.
I think most of those teams are going to be good and solid so the Wolverines certainly don't appear to have an easy path to Lincoln.
The East Husker Conference appears to be really good again this year so it will be interesting to see if BRLD can make it to Columbus again.
I think the big thing for the Wolverines will be post play.
We know BRLD has the guard play, but BRLD graduated Cole Christoffersen down low so someone else will need to step up and emerge for the Wolverines.
I think BRLD will be very quick and athletic so the Wolverines need to utilize that and get out and run as much as possible I would say.
The Wolverines open up the season on November 30th at home against Omaha Nation.
2017-2018 BRLD Wolverines Boys Basketball Schedule:
11/30/17 Omaha Nation
12/02/17 @ Homer
12/05/17 @ Emerson-Hubbard
12/08/17 Clarkson/Leigh
12/15/17 Howells-Dodge
12/21/17 @ Ponca
12/29-12/30 (To Be Determined) BRLD Tournament Lyons/Bancroft
01/02/18 @ Cedar Bluffs
01/05/18 Tekamah-Herman
01/06/18 West Point-Beemer
01/12/18 Oakland-Craig
01/13/18 @ Mead
01/16/18 Wakefield
01/19/18 Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
01/20/18 @ Stanton
01/23/18 Winnebago
01/27-02/03 (To Be Determined) East Husker Conference Tournament TBD
02/06/18 Wisner-Pilger
02/09/18 @ Logan View-Scribner-Snyder
02/16/18 @ Pender
Team: Bancroft-Rosalie-Lyons-Decatur
Mascot: Wolverines
Colors: UCLA Blue, Black, and Gold
Class: C-2
Conference: East Husker
Head Coach: Rod Peters (6th season)
Returning Starters: 3
Overview:
The BRLD Girls Basketball Team brings back 3 starters from last year's team that went 16-9. Head Coach Rod Peters. "Vicki Gatzemeyer (SR) returns. She's started since her freshman year. So she will be put in a spot where she is a major contributor for our team. Probably also being in a starting role is Tiahna Bonneau. She's another senior. At times she started last year. Someone who is maybe a little bit undersized in the post, but is extremely strong, and works extremely hard. Also looking at probably Paige Peters (5'6 JR) as another starter at a guard position. She's someone who started last year, came off the bench as a freshman, and as a sophomore started for us. So we look for her to do a major increase in her scoring than what she did last year."
Peters says others who could potentially start include Mariah Petersen (SR), Sophia Henneman (5'4, SR G), and Brandi Simonsen (JR PG).
Three huge losses for the Wolverines from last year are Kelley Wakeley, Lexie Bacon, and Tess Nottleman.
Wakeley and Bacon scored a lot for BRLD a season ago, and Nottleman was a good, physical post presence.
I look for Gatzemeyer and Peters to score quite a bit for the Wolverines this season, and for Bonneau to be tough in the post.
BRLD won't have a lot of height and is undersized at some positions so the Wolverines will need to work hard this year to have success, but then again that's with any year.
BRLD might have to work even harder this year than in the past though to make up for their lack of size.
While the Wolverines don't figure to be very big, they figure to be very fast and athletic.
Peters says his team will have to play fast, and I think it will be very important for BRLD to get out and run and push the tempo this season.
Paige Peters and Gatzemeyer are both very good and gifted athletes, and I look for both to have outstanding campaigns.
I think Petersen, Henneman, and Simonsen will make a big impact on this team too as will Bonneau.
Depth should once again be a strength for the Wolverines with 18 or 19 girls out for the team.
BRLD may struggle early due to some inexperience, but I look for the Wolverines to click and get things going by midseason.
Season Outlook:
BRLD looks to build off last year's 16-9 record.
The Wolverines have a lot of winnable games right off the bat, but tough games later on with Clarkson/Leigh, Howells-Dodge, Ponca, Cedar Bluffs, West Point-Beemer, Oakland-Craig, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Stanton, and Wisner-Pilger.
BRLD appears to have some tough games, but a lot of games that should be sure wins.
I think the Wolverines can do just as well as they did last year if not better.
BRLD may not be as dynamic and explosive offensively as they were last year, but look for the Wolverines to still be good on offense and stout on defense.
Teams that are tall and slow it down could potentially give BRLD some trouble, but I expect the Wolverines to get out and run and try and push the tempo against those teams.
BRLD has to try and make teams adapt and adjust to their fast style of play, and must control tempo of the game as much as possible.
The Wolverines have to get out and run, run, run as much as possible.
Making layups in transition and getting to the free throw line and converting there will be important I think.
Pressuring the ball, creating turnovers, and converting off steals will also be big for BRLD, in my opinion.
BRLD begins the year on November 30th at home against Omaha Nation. Peters says he expects a battle with the Chiefs. "He'll have a lot of talent out there. They'll be able to run the floor. They'll be good competition for us coming out of the gates there on Thursday."
The Wolverines knocked off Omaha Nation 79-36 on the road in last season's opener before beating the Chiefs 67-34 in Sub-Districts.
Speaking of Sub-Districts...the Chiefs, Oakland-Craig, Homer, and Wakefield are in BRLD's Sub-District this year.
Oakland-Craig is without the services of Dacey Nelson this year due to a torn ACL in the summer so that could affect the Wolverines' regular season and potential postseason matchup with the Knights.
I think BRLD has a good chance to at least get to a District Final this season, but the other side of the Sub-District appears to be very tough with Stanton, Howells-Dodge, Battle Creek, Lutheran High Northeast, and Wisner-Pilger all in there, but State is never out of the question for any team.
2017-2018 BRLD Wolverines Girls Basketball Schedule:
11/30/17 Omaha Nation
12/02/17 @ Homer
12/05/17 @ Emerson-Hubbard
12/08/17 Clarkson/Leigh
12/15/17 Howells-Dodge
12/19/17 @ Pender
12/21/17 @ Ponca
12/29-12/30 (To Be Determined) BRLD Holiday Tour. Lyons/Bancroft
01/02/18 @ Cedar Bluffs
01/05/18 Tekamah-Herman
01/06/18 West Point-Beemer
01/12/18 Oakland-Craig
01/13/18 @ Mead
01/16/18 Wakefield
01/19/18 Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
01/20/18 @ Stanton
01/23/18 Winnebago
01/26-02/03 (To Be Determined) East Husker Conference Tournament TBD
02/06/18 Wisner-Pilger
02/09/18 @ Logan View-Scribner-Snyder
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