Winter sports are about to be underway, and there are some new faces in the Parkway South basketball program. This year’s freshman team has a lot to live up to, as last year’s freshman boys went 19-1. The Patriots lost their last game, 60-48, to the DeSmet Spartans. The boys’ next game is Jan. 3 at home against Oakville. The freshman team has a 5-2 record at press time.  

“I am trying to find out which five boys will give me the most consistency,” freshman coach Thomas Howren said.

Howren said he is hoping to repeat how the past few years has gone, so the team needs to be consistent.

“This year’s players work at a faster pace, and are a better overall defensive team than the years past,” Howren said.

However, Howren said he realized that this team doesn’t work together as well as other teams in the past.

“During practice, we need to work on making the smart play and being able to knock down open shots,” Owen Stevenson, guard, said.

However, Howren said he thinks the boys need to work the most on being unselfish while playing basketball, and working on team chemistry.

Freshman Collin Gregg, forward, said he thinks that during practice each player needs to improve their individual skill sets.

Freshman Mason Lange, forward, agrees with Howren that this team works at a fast pace, but would like the team to know all of the plays fully.

“The team needs to get the plays down, if we do that then we would be a lot better,” Alvon Polk, guard, said.

“Some of the teams strong skills are athleticism and that the team is very coachable,” Gregg said.

“We are very good at drawing fouls and defense,” Polk said.

Howren noted some of the players who are doing very well this season.

“Sebastian Sutton’s defense is great, James Stone has overall played very well, and Mali Walton has been good underneath the basket,” Howren said.

Both Howren and Lange said that everyone has stepped up at one time or another to be a leader.

“The game against De Smet is going to be a very hard game,” Polk said.

“I think this team can come together as more of a family and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses to lead to more success as a whole,” Gregg said.