Young Bell City program to learn, gain experience this season

Bell City sophomore Brandon Grimes defends against Cub senior Mavrick Griffin on a drive during a practice on Friday at Bell City High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

BELL CITY – It’s little secret to anyone in Bell City that the boy’s basketball program has struggled in recent seasons.

The Cubs have won just five games in as many years, but that hasn’t dissuaded first-year coach Luke Bixler from being pumped up about the next few months.

“I am super excited and super grateful to be in this position,” Bixler said. “I’m anxious. I’m nervous, but at the same time, I look forward to this challenge.”

It will be just that, a “challenge,” because the Cubs have just two seniors (Mavrick Griffin and Hunter Calhoun) and four juniors (Easton Newell, Drew Roberts, Logan Stubenrauch, and Scott Pikey), while the remaining 14 players in the program are freshmen (10) or sophomores (four).

“This is definitely going to be a year where we are going to get some experience,” Bixler said, “especially those younger guys.”

The Cubs took part in a jamboree at Holcomb on Thursday along with East Carter and, as expected, looked good at times, and struggled at other times.

Bixler led a follow-up practice on Friday where he barely took a breath in between instructing his players on every facet of the game. In terms of ballhandling, the Missouri State graduate has emphasized “dribbling with a purpose.”

“So many players, when they get the ball, just want to dribble, dribble, dribble and go nowhere,” Bixler explained. “I’m trying to limit taking negative dribbles and dribbling with a purpose.”

Bixler is teaching his players the benefits of offensive spacing because he believes his team can play an inside-out style.

“I would like to get the basketball moving,” Bixler said. “Get some ball reversals and I have some post guys, who can score around the basket. So, I’d like to get the ball inside, get the ball moving and try to shift the defense and play a lot of in-and-out.”

Those scoring threats on the block include sophomore Dawson Loomes, freshman Kale Richardson, Griffin, and Calhoun, who moved in from Woodland High School this season.

As far as height goes, Pikey at 6-foot-2 is the tallest Cub, which could be a blessing as far as presenting a mobile, quick, and attacking offense.

“We’d like quick buckets around the rim,” Bixler said, “but we also have a couple of guys who we are confident in that can put the ball in the hole if left open on the outside.”

Newell will run the offense and can score off the bounce, while Stubenrauch and sophomore Baylor Eftink can be perimeter threats.

“Our height will make us undersized on most nights,” Bixler said. “But we need to make sure that we are competing and playing at a high level. We’ve got some toughness and we have some guys who are willing to get inside and do some of the dirty work.”

The Cubs will open the regular season on Nov. 28 in the Oran Invitational against Kelly.

Bell City’s home debut will be on Dec. 13 against Leopold.