Optimism is high entering the 2014-15 season however, as newly hired head coach Michael Hall will look to restore order to the once-dominant M-CHS program. Hall played for the Panthers and worked as an assistant to former head coach Wade Mortensen for two years.
Hall said that while he expects the Panthers to face challenges this season, he believes that the team can be competitive and enjoy success.
“We’re pretty senior-heavy this year,” Hall said. I have seven seniors who are going to get the majority of the playing time. We’re looking to win the (Southwest League) and get into the state tournament.”
Guards will push pace
Given the fact that this year’s M-CHS team will have just one player over 6-feet-4, the Panthers will look to push the ball at every opportunity.
Leading the charge will be senior point guard Hayden Plewe, who, after sitting out half of last season after transferring from Dolores, energized the team with high-energy defense and efficient passing.
“(Plewe) is intelligent, he knows how to calm things down, and he knows how to score,” said Hall.
“I’m just looking to set up the offense,” Plewe said. “We’ve got such an athletic starting five and athletic bench. If I can distribute the ball, we’ll be solid.”
Starting at shooting guard for the Panthers will be senior Taylor Wilson, who, after enjoying some big games last season, will look to provide consistent scoring for his team.
Senior Konnar McGee will start at small forward, and junior Aron Engle will likely be the first guard off the bench.
“We’re definitely going to play fast,” said McGee. “We have a lot of big men who are athletic, and we would like to spread the court out and use our speed.”
Posts emphasize athleticism
Figuring to benefit from the Panthers fast-paced attack will be M-CHS’s four top post players, who are all capable of running the floor and scoring in transition.
Leading the group will be senior football stars Jonathan Walck and Randy Haley, who are known for their leaping ability, foot speed and strength. Haley’s ability to effectively crash the offensive glass will be key, while Walck’s ability to knock down long-range jump shots could give opponents fits.
Junior Walter Parker and sophomore Seth Long will also garner significant minutes on the low block.
“It will be hard for the defense to guard (our post players),” said Hall. “We can put them down low against smaller guys, and they’ll dominate. On the outside, bigger guys can’t stay with their speed.”
Schedule will be challenging
By far the smallest school in the Southwest League, the Panthers will be pushed night in and night out throughout the league portion of their season.
Two matchups against Durango will highlight the Panthers league schedule, while a season-opening road matchup against Delta on Dec. 5 and a non-league matchup against Pagosa Springs will highlight M-CHS’s non-league slate.
“We’re the smallest team in our league (in terms of school size), but we need to get the mindset that we can compete,” said McGee. “I think we will compete this year.”