By Shelley Ebbrect (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Fair Play lineup is rich with experienced talent as the Hornets welcome back four starters to the varsity squad this season.
Returning for Fair Play is first-team All-Polk County League senior Camden Welch. As the team’s leading scorer, Welch averaged more than 21 points per game last season. He surpassed 1,000 career points last year, ending the season with 1,190.
Welch put up 31 points in the Class 1, District 5 championship game last year, but it wasn’t enough to carry the Hornets to victory. Fair Play lost the final game to the heavily favored Walnut Grove and ended the season 19-11 overall.
Gone from that team are graduated senior starter Cody Dalburg and Brian Hossman off the bench. Returning for longtime head coach Lynn Long are four starters and eight more players with experience starting in varsity games. Long said the depth of experience on the bench makes them stronger and faster than before.
“I think we will be much better this year because we will be a more experienced team,” Long said. “We should have much more depth which will allow us to play at a much faster tempo and put more pressure on the other team when on defense. And hopefully wear down the other team.”
Joining Welch for his senior campaign is second-team all-conference selection Devon Rovenstine. Rovenstine was the Hornets’ second leading scorer with 12.5 points per game last year.
Ryan Rutledge is the third returning senior for Fair Play. Rutledge had a good season with an 11.5 point per game average.
The experienced group focused on fundamentals, defense, intensity and teamwork over the summer and is hoping their hard work is enough to make it back to the championship game come district tournament time.
“We should be very competitive in both conference and district,” said Long. “We should be able to play quicker and more aggressively than last year.”
With 989 varsity games under his belt, Long will reach the 1,000 games-coached milestone during his 38th year as a head coach. And he is just 27 wins away from 700 career victories.
“We will be pretty good this year, but winning 27 games will take a really good year,” Long said.
Fair Play hits the court November 30 when they appear in the Humansville Tournament. The team will face their first conference match Thursday, December 17 when they hose Halfway in their home opener.
The Hornets’ first shot at a rematch with Walnut Grove comes during the Walnut Grove Holiday Classic beginning December 19. They play the District Champions during regular season play February 16 at Walnut Grove in the final stretch before the District Tournament February 20.
Long said his team will take the season game-by-game and improve with each contest.
“We try to take it one game at a time and peak at the end,” he said.
