Coach optimistic about returning depth
By Bruce Rolfe
Six returners, including four starters from last year’s 17-5 and SAC Valley Division champions (10-0) leaves 5th year Galesburg-Augusta boys basketball coach Brian Dolph optimistic about the upcoming season.
The new season begins November 26 in a home non-league battle with Comstock (the JV game begins at 5:30 p.m.).
The 17 wins last year’s team reached set a school record for wins in a season, surpassing the 15 wins the 1983-84 and 2012-2013 teams achieved.
The Rams, coming off their second consecutive division championship, have several key players returning in addition to adding talent from an 18-1 JV team from last season.
The four returning starters include seniors Jeremiah Mann, Ethan Thomas, Ethan Gibson and Nolan Brewer. Levi Born, DeAndre Crosby and Anakin Jordan are the other returning seniors that played significant minutes last season on what was a balanced and deep G-A roster.
Mann, a guard-forward, is a returning 1st team all-conference selection who averaged 17.8 points, five rebounds and 2.3 steals a game. He enjoyed four games scoring 20 points or more with season highs of 31 and 38 points in addition to maintaining a 3.9 GPA.
Thomas, a forward, averaged seven points per game, Gibson, a point guard, averaged 5.5 points, three assists and 2.2 steals a game and Brewer, a guard-forward, averaged five rebounds and two steals a game.
Dolph feels G-A is adding a solid class of juniors that are coming off an 18-1 JV season, led by juniors Calvin Benard, who averaged eight points and three steals per game, Hayden Pritchard, and Aiden Moses. Sophomore point guard Giovonni Evans, who averaged 10 points, 2.3 assists and 2.5 steals a game, will be making his varsity debut this season and was the JV team leader in scoring and assists last season.
Dolph feels his team will be deep and balanced but will have to raise its level of play if the Rams expect to have an opportunity to win a third consecutive SAC Central championship and make a run in the postseason.
Six returners, including four starters from last year’s 17-5 and SAC Valley Division champions (10-0) leaves 5th year Galesburg-Augusta boys basketball coach Brian Dolph optimistic about the upcoming season.
The new season begins November 26 in a home non-league battle with Comstock (the JV game begins at 5:30 p.m.).
The 17 wins last year’s team reached set a school record for wins in a season, surpassing the 15 wins the 1983-84 and 2012-2013 teams achieved.
The Rams, coming off their second consecutive division championship, have several key players returning in addition to adding talent from an 18-1 JV team from last season.
The four returning starters include seniors Jeremiah Mann, Ethan Thomas, Ethan Gibson and Nolan Brewer. Levi Born, DeAndre Crosby and Anakin Jordan are the other returning seniors that played significant minutes last season on what was a balanced and deep G-A roster.
Mann, a guard-forward, is a returning 1st team all-conference selection who averaged 17.8 points, five rebounds and 2.3 steals a game. He enjoyed four games scoring 20 points or more with season highs of 31 and 38 points in addition to maintaining a 3.9 GPA.
Thomas, a forward, averaged seven points per game, Gibson, a point guard, averaged 5.5 points, three assists and 2.2 steals a game and Brewer, a guard-forward, averaged five rebounds and two steals a game.
Dolph feels G-A is adding a solid class of juniors that are coming off an 18-1 JV season, led by juniors Calvin Benard, who averaged eight points and three steals per game, Hayden Pritchard, and Aiden Moses. Sophomore point guard Giovonni Evans, who averaged 10 points, 2.3 assists and 2.5 steals a game, will be making his varsity debut this season and was the JV team leader in scoring and assists last season.
Dolph feels his team will be deep and balanced but will have to raise its level of play if the Rams expect to have an opportunity to win a third consecutive SAC Central championship and make a run in the postseason.
G-A JV/Varsity Boys Basketball
11/26 Comstock (JV/Var.) Home 5:30 p.m.
11/27 C-S (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
12/5 Saugatuck (JV) Home 7 p.m.
12/5 Saugatuck (Var.) 7 p.m.
12/10 South Haven (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
12/12 Black River (JV) Away 5:30 p.m.
12/12 Black River (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
12/17 Eau Claire (JV/Var.) Away 5 p.m.
12/19 Martin (JV) Away 7 p.m.
12/20 Martin (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
1/7 Hackett (JV/Var.) Home 5:30 p.m.
1/9 Gobles (JV) Home 7 p.m.
1/10 Gobles (Var.) Away 7 p.m.
1/14 Parchment (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
1/16 Delton (JV) Away 7 p.m.
1/17 Delton (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
Hall of Fame
1/21 Allegan (JV/Var.) Home 5:30 p.m.
1/23 Saugatuck (JV) Away 7 p.m.
1/24 Saugatuck (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
Snowcoming
1/28 Lawton (JV/Var.) Home 5:30 p.m.
1/30 Black River (JV) Home 7 p.m.
1/31 Black River (Var.) Away 7 p.m.
2/4 Zion Christian (JV/Var.) Home 5 p.m.
2/5 Springport (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
2/6 Martin (JV) Home 7 p.m.
2/7 Martin (Var.) Away 7 p.m.
2/11 Coloma (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
2/13 Gobles (JV) Away 7 p.m.
2/14 Gobles (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
2/16 Constantine (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
2/20 Delton (JV) Home 7 p.m.
2/21 Delton (Var.) Away 7 p.m.
2/23-28 Districts Var. TBD
11/26 Comstock (JV/Var.) Home 5:30 p.m.
11/27 C-S (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
12/5 Saugatuck (JV) Home 7 p.m.
12/5 Saugatuck (Var.) 7 p.m.
12/10 South Haven (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
12/12 Black River (JV) Away 5:30 p.m.
12/12 Black River (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
12/17 Eau Claire (JV/Var.) Away 5 p.m.
12/19 Martin (JV) Away 7 p.m.
12/20 Martin (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
1/7 Hackett (JV/Var.) Home 5:30 p.m.
1/9 Gobles (JV) Home 7 p.m.
1/10 Gobles (Var.) Away 7 p.m.
1/14 Parchment (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
1/16 Delton (JV) Away 7 p.m.
1/17 Delton (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
Hall of Fame
1/21 Allegan (JV/Var.) Home 5:30 p.m.
1/23 Saugatuck (JV) Away 7 p.m.
1/24 Saugatuck (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
Snowcoming
1/28 Lawton (JV/Var.) Home 5:30 p.m.
1/30 Black River (JV) Home 7 p.m.
1/31 Black River (Var.) Away 7 p.m.
2/4 Zion Christian (JV/Var.) Home 5 p.m.
2/5 Springport (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
2/6 Martin (JV) Home 7 p.m.
2/7 Martin (Var.) Away 7 p.m.
2/11 Coloma (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
2/13 Gobles (JV) Away 7 p.m.
2/14 Gobles (Var.) Home 7 p.m.
2/16 Constantine (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
2/20 Delton (JV) Home 7 p.m.
2/21 Delton (Var.) Away 7 p.m.
2/23-28 Districts Var. TBD
