Sports

Strong start essential for BHS

By Matthew Semisch

12/09/2014

Although Bottineau High’s boys’ basketball team finished last season with a 4-18 record, head coach Nate Simpson feels that 4-18 doesn’t tell the whole story.

The Braves struggled throughout the regular season. Come tournament time, however, they were able to flick up the proverbial ‘on’ switch.

Bottineau lost in the first round of the District 11 tournament to Rugby. BHS then defeated Velva in the second round, though, and ended up one win away from being a surprise entrant in the Class B Region 6 tournament.

With the new season approaching, Simpson hopes that his Braves’ tournament success can carry over. What he knows for sure is that whatever success BHS will have this time around will come on the back of a strong team work ethic.

“We have to be ready to go from the start and start the season with practices going the way we want to play,” he said, “and I don’t know if I saw that as consistently as I would’ve liked at the start of last season. 

“The focus will be on short, up-tempo practices that can hopefully carry over into games, and the kids that are coming back have to take on leadership roles and hold people accountable for doing the right things.”

Depth could be a concern for the Braves, which graduated five seniors last spring. By comparison, only three seniors dot the Braves’ roster this time around.

Several talented upperclassmen return, though, and they’ll be headed by the likes of senior Christian St. Claire (8.1 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game last season) and junior Parker Engelhard (10.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG).

The Braves are preparing for a busy first week of the season. Bottineau will visit non-district opponent Rolla next Monday before welcoming Des Lacs-Burlington to the BHS gymnasium a week from this Friday.