Team: Pender
Mascot: Pendragons
Colors: Red and White
Class: D-2
Conference: East Husker
Head Coach: Mitch Mailloux (1st season)
2018-2019 record: 9-14 (lost to Homer in Sub-Districts)
Returning Starters: N/A
Overview:
The Pender Boys are under new leadership as former player Mitch Mailloux takes over the program, replacing Sean King.
Mailloux played 3 years of basketball at Doane under Jim Weeks, and spent two years as a Boys Assistant at David City prior to coming back home to Pender.
Returning for Pender is Dylan Vogt, Nathan Breitbarth, Austin Roth, Larry McManigal, and Jaxon Maise with Caleb Trimble coming off the bench.
Mailloux says the team won't be very deep, but does have some freshmen who could step up and contribute some.
Mailloux is no stranger to working with these kids. "When I was in high school I coached some of these guys in little kids basketball league and youth football league and stuff like that so it was kind of cool getting to coach them again at the high school at the varsity level."
I think having that familiarity and bond with the kids will really help Mailloux out a lot.
Pender lost Chris Rutar, Eric Schopke, Korbyn Nelson, Gabriel Perez, Sam Mailloux, and Jaydon Jump last year.
The Pendragons may go through some growing pains this year, but Pender can definitely be good in time or perhaps right away.
I think it's important for the Pendragons to have a positive attitude and a winning mentality.
Pender has to develop a winning culture, a culture for winning basketball games.
Mailloux says that's exactly what the Pendragons are trying to do. "I've told the kids since Day 1 when I got here that the biggest challenge we're dealt with right now is changing the culture...winning basketball games, winning close games. Figuring out how to win basketball games isn't something that Pender's been known for here lately. We play hard, but we haven't won a ton."
Mailloux says he told the kids they could win 4 games, they could win 20 games.
I feel like the Pendragons have had the talent to win in recent years, but it just hasn't happened.
I feel there's talent there this year too so it will be interesting to see how things turn out for Pender this season and in the future.
The Pendragons need to establish a lot of things for the future this year.
This needs to be a year for laying a solid foundation for future teams to build off of.
Pender has to develop a winning culture and get things turned around and headed in the right direction.
Season Outlook:
The Pender Boys Basketball Team looks to turn things around and become a winning program.
The schedule has its challenges though with the likes of Wakefield, Lutheran High Northeast, Oakland-Craig, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Wisner-Pilger, Emerson-Hubbard, Winnebago, and BRLD.
I feel the schedule sets up for the Pendragons to have the potential to finish .500 or better though.
Pender opens up the season at 2019 C-2 State Qualifier Wakefield on December 5th.
The Pendragons are Sub-District D2-4 with Emerson-Hubbard, Wynot, Randolph, and Winside.
Mailloux says Pender will be familiar with the Pirates and Blue Devils prior to the postseason. "We'll see Emerson-Hubbard and Wynot both during the regular season, which may be a good thing, may be a bad thing. I'm excited to get a chance to see them during the year."
Mailloux says Randolph is always a very good basketball team and Winside is rising, adding the Sub-District should be competitive.
I think this season has a lot of potential for Pender.
I feel learning how to win and win close games will be key for the Pendragons.
Pender has to knock down free throws late in games and limit turnovers to do well this year and in the future, in my opinion.
The team needs to have good footwork and proper mechanics.
The Pendragons have to go out there and be authoritative and know what they're doing.
Pender can't hesitate or hold anything back whatsoever.
The Pendragons have to simply go out there and let it rip and make it all happen.
Pender can definitely be good and successful this year and for years to come, but the Pendragons must change the culture.
Pender is a work in progress at this point, but you hope the Pendragons become a finished product in time.
How long that takes I do not know, but I feel it can and has a chance to happen.
Only time will tell, however.
2019-2020 Pender Pendragons Boys Basketball Schedule:
12/05/19 @ Wakefield
12/06/19 Tekamah-Herman
12/12/19 Lutheran High Northeast
12/13/19 @ Oakland-Craig
12/16/19 @ Allen
12/17/19 @ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
12/21/19 Stanton
12/27-12/30 (To Be Determined) Wayne Holiday Tournament Wayne State College
01/06/20 Wynot
01/09/20 Guardian Angels Central Catholic
01/14/20 @ Homer
01/16/20 @ Omaha Nation
01/18/20 @ Clarkson/Leigh
01/23/20 Wisner-Pilger
01/25/20 @ Howells-Dodge
01/27/20 Madison
01/28/20 @ Emerson-Hubbard
01/30/20 @ Winnebago
02/21/20 BRLD
Team: Pender
Mascot: Pendragons
Colors: Red and White
Class: D-1
Conference: East Husker
Head Coach: Luke Hoffman (3rd Season) (23-25 record)
2018-2019 record: 13-11 (lost to Randolph in Sub-District Final)
Returning Starters: N/A
Overview:
The Pender Girls Basketball Team looks for a breakout season this year given all the talent they bring back.
3rd year Head Coach Luke Hoffman says the team returns two seniors from last year's team, including Faith Morris.
Returning Juniors are Ashley Ostrand and Zoey Lehmkuhl.
Returning sophomores include Reese Kneifl and Caitlyn Heise.
Key freshmen include Lillie Timm and Olyvia Nelson.
Hoffman says the team has a large freshmen class of 13 girls out for the team this year.
Michaela Wegner was a key player lost from last year.
Hoffman says the offseason went well. "We've always participated over at the Wayne State Summer League, so we went over there. We were really successful there and gained some confidence. Went to some day camps, went down to Wahoo, played some good competition there."
Hoffman says the team also went down to UNK.
I think having a successful offseason and lots of girls back should really help out the Pendragons.
Pender went from 10-14 in 2017-2018 to 13-11 in 2018-2019 so I think at least 15 wins is likely this year.
I feel the Pendragons have a chance to do really well this year and for years to come.
Man 13 freshmen out for the team this year, that is crazy, especially given the fact Pender is a D-1 School.
It's a good thing though as there figures to be a lot of competition for starting spots and playing time.
I'm excited to see what the Pendragons can do this year.
I feel Pender has a chance to be successful and win quite a few games this season.
I think the Pendragons learned how to win some close games last year, and if they can keep narrowing the gap they should be just fine.
Season Outlook:
The Pender Girls look for a big season this year.
The schedule isn't easy though with the likes of Oakland-Craig, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, North Bend Central, and Stanton on it before Christmas.
Other tough games figure to come against BRLD, Wynot, Clarkson/Leigh, and GACC.
I think this season could be a lot like the past couple years in that the Pendragons start strong and then struggle from mid-December to early January.
I think the key this year, however, is finishing the season strong.
Pender has kind of tapered off at the end the past couple of years, and I feel they need to fix that this year if they hope and want to get to where they want to go.
The Pendragons open up the season at Wakefield-Allen on December 5th. "I know they got a new coach and so it'll be interesting to see what he decides to go with those girls so we have to be ready for everything. I guess man, zone, whatever they're going to run. It should be a fun game. It always is." Hoffman said.
Pender is in Sub-District D1-1 with Fremont Bergan, Walthill, Omaha Nation, and Omaha Christian Academy.
Hoffman says the team hopes to get a shot at the Knights. "You look at Bergan and obviously they're the team to beat in the Sub-District there. And I know they lost a couple of key contributors last year when I was down at State Watching them that were pretty good basketball players. I know they'll reload, but I think our girls kind of have our eyes set on playing them at some point during the season."
Hoffman says the girls have set some high expectations for themselves, including coming together as a team.
Bergan is very tough, and I fully expect that Sub-District to come down to them and the Pendragons.
I feel Pender will have a chance to win the Sub-District when it comes time, but could still potentially make Sub-State even without a Sub-District Championship.
And I think that's due to the nature of and the strong schedule the Pendragons play.
Pender plays a lot of tough teams and competition as do the Knights, which is why both of those teams are so successful year in and year out.
2019-2020 Pender Pendragons Girls Basketball Schedule:
12/05/19 @ Wakefield-Allen
12/06/19 Tekamah-Herman
12/12/19 Lutheran High Northeast
12/13/19 @ Oakland-Craig
12/17/19 @ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
12/20/19 @ North Bend Central
12/21/19 Stanton
12/27-12/30 (To Be Determined) Wayne Holiday Tournament Wayne State College
01/04/20 BRLD
01/06/20 Wynot
01/14/20 @ Homer
01/16/20 @ Omaha Nation
01/18/20 @ Clarkson/Leigh
01/23/20 Wisner-Pilger
01/25/20 @ Howells-Dodge
01/27/20 Madison
01/28/20 @ Emerson-Hubbard
01/30/20 @ Winnebago
02/11/20 Guardian Angels Central Catholic
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