If all it took was having plenty of tall young men to be a successful basketball squad in the highly competitive South Puget Sound League 3A, Enumclaw would be set to jet straight to the state tournament.
But that is not all it takes to construct a winner as new EHS cage coach Kellen Hall will attest.
“The two basketball philosophies I am trying to get across to these guys is when they show up to practice they should be able to look in the mirror after practice and honestly say to their reflection, that they have improved just a little more for having gone through that workout.
“Secondly, I never want to have to admit that we were outworked by any opponent in any given contest.”
This Enumclaw native and former Hornet cager stresses a great deal of running and nonstop drills in what he termed, “an up-tempo, fast-paced practice regime, with not a lot of down time.”
Size isn’t everything in basketball, but it doesn’t hurt and this year’s Enumclaw roster will be one of the tallest in recent memory.
The list begins with 6 foot, 7 inch sophomore Drake Radenmacher and continues with 6-5 Demetri Anderson, 6-4 Junior Condon and 6-3 Tony Chynoweth, who Hall tabbed as probably the most, “significant starter” in the EHS lineup in the approaching season. A year ago, Chynoweth started in at least two-thirds of the hoop meetings.
The supporting cast appears solid.
Perry Rockwood is the leading candidate at point guard and the winged warriors’ defense will be well fortified with physical, experienced thieves in Ryan Chynoweth and Dane Ashcroft.
“This great group of guys is very excited and eager to get the season under way,” Hall said. “These kids have worked really hard and are starting to buy into the theories that are the foundation of this program.”
Every basketball team has a stellar sixth man, and the go-to guy for the Hornets this season will be 6-3 sophomore Bryce Peterson.
The Hornets’ first game was Tuesday against Sumner High. Enumclaw then hops a bus and crosses over into Pierce County Friday to invade the White River gymnasium.
