By Kary Booher
On paper, one might take a gander at the roster of the Seymour High School boys basketball team, spot the handful of sophomores and assume the Tigers are facing the R-word.
“But this is a real talented class. This is not rebuilding by any means,” Seymour coach Chris Hastings said. “This is an exciting thing to be a part of.”
Seymour enters its second year guided by Hastings, the former Crane assistant who took over that program at the end of the 2015 season. The Tigers finished 13-13 last and were a first-round casualty in the district tournament.
But not only does senior Cy Yates return, but the Tigers also feature sophomores Justin Herion, Brian Pearce, Eric Helms, Keaton Owens and Brady Brooke. Senior Brock Scott also could come off the bench.
It’s a group that took its lumps over the summer by playing in the Branson and Nixa Shootouts as well as in the nearby Mansfield league.
That schedule could help toughen up Seymour when it meanders through the Summit Conference and readies for the Class 2 District 4 tournament – which features defending state champion Hartville and a number of other formidable teams. For the sophomores especially, they have to be ready for varsity games played at a faster pace and tougher grind.
“It was better for them to learn that over the summer and know what they needed to work on,” Hastings said, “so they’ll be ready to go.”
Yates averaged 14 points a game last year, when he shot 33 percent from 3-point range. Now he is moving into more of a leadership role, too.
“He’s played varsity basketball and kind of knows the ropes,” Hastings said. “He’ll take on the scoring load and try to take young guys under wing and show them the ropes.”
Herion will move into the point guard role, with Pearce, a lean 6-foot-3 guard, also a key. Herion is effective off the dribble, and Pearce is a natural shooter who can shoot over defenders.
“They are two guys who have potential to be all-conference and all-district,” said Hastings, a 2008 Nixa High School graduate who played for North Ark juco and Missouri Valley College of the NAIA. “Justin’s improved on his ability to get to the rim. This summer, we knew had the talent, but thinking the game, he has made a huge leap.”
As for Pearce, “His confidence as a freshman, it was tough to get him out of slumps. But this summer, if it wasn’t falling for him, he’d still hold his head high.”
Helms is a 5-10 guard with a nose for the ball.
“He’s real quick off the dribble and can get to the rim,” Hastings said.
One key will be Seymour’s style of play with Owens on the floor, given he is an undersized post player.
“We’re not very big at all,” Hastings said. “We can’t let teams can’t walk the ball and get to the post. Defense has to be tremendous so teams don’t pick us apart.”
Fortunately for Hastings, since the school year began, his presence in the hallways has been significant, too. Through the fall semester, he has pressed players on chemistry and defending. And they’ve listened, a positive sign for the road ahead in the Summit and district tournament.
“The players have bought in from day one,” Hastings said. “It’s been an easy group to coach. I’m excited for these guys.”
