By Derek Shore (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The 2015-16 season was a transition year for the Cassville Wildcats under the leadership of first-year head coach Barrett Milleson. His club finished with an 8-18 overall record (2-6 in Big 8 play).
The Carthage Tigers eliminated Milleson and the Wildcats in the first round of Class 4 District 12 tournament.
Don’t look now, but Cassville will have to adapt to life without graduating guards Noah Hadlow and Allen Lambel – two integral assets for the Wildcats last season. However, Milleson feels both left a lasting impression for the program going forward.
“Noah was a four-year starter and a tough person to replace,” Milleson said of Hadlow, a double-digit scorer and proven scorer when it counted the most. “He was a mentor to our young and talented guards.
“Allen was our primary ball handler and was a great perimeter defender. He took pride on the defensive end of the floor and was a great vocal leader,” he said.
Those to aid life without Hadlow and Lambel include five returning lettermen overall and two starters back for the 2016-17 campaign. The group is led by 6-foot-2 senior Collin Pearman, a Big 8 All-Conference Honorable Mention. The combo forward averaged a double-double a game in his coming out party onto varsity action last year.
“Collin was a key to our success last year,” Milleson said of his top returning scorer. “He can score the ball in multiple ways, guard multiple positions, and rebounds very well on both ends of the floor.”
The Wildcats will also feature guard Ethan Hoppes, who started the end of the year after his standout freshman season. Hoppes, a 5-foot-10, sophomore, averaged six points per game over 19 games in his first season on the varsity hardwood.
“He’s a talented, high-energy guy that can make plays for both himself and his teammates,” Milleson said.
Gavin White and Troy Rose will join Pearman as the three returning seniors. Milleson said White and Rose did not play a lot of varsity as juniors, but will see a significant chunk of minutes this season. Trey Dalton, a 6-foot-0, junior guard, is the fifth returning letterman. Dalton came off the bench as a scoring option last year. Milleson was impressed with his ability to score and expects his role will expand as an upperclassman.
As far as top newcomers, juniors Austin Wilson and Skylar Wolf and sophomore Solomon Rainey.
“Austin was a standout JV player for us last year, who will add depth to our guard rotation and is very fast,” Milleson said of his 5-foot-8 guard. “He will create unique scoring opportunities for our team.”
Milleson also likes the growth of his imposing 6-foot-7 beast in Wolf on the block.
“Skylar played JV last year and has grown immensely since we started with him,” he said. “He has improved his physical conditioning and has better hands and feet than he did a year ago.”
Rainey listed at 6-foot-3 is a Springfield Kickapoo transfer and will settle in at a forward position.
“Offensively we will be more balanced this year,” Milleson said. “We return a lot of talent in the guard’s spots, and we become much deeper in the forward spot. I expect this group to be able to score in multiple ways.
“Defensively we will be able to do multiple things. With us having more depth at the forward spot, we can play multiple styles.”
Milleson said his expectations are to build upon what his team accomplished last year and get better with each contest.
“Our ultimate goal will be to make it deeper into districts and keep our season going for as long as possible,” he said.
Cassville starts the season at the Seneca Jamboree, scheduled for Nov. 11. The Wildcats open the regular season at Berryville, AR on Nov. 22.
