By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
After a tumultuous season in 2016-17, Conway boys head coach Jeff Cope hopes the experience gained will add some stability and growth to his squad as it prepares for Cope’s fifth season at the helm.
While Conway finished the season with a competitive 15-12 record before falling to Mountain Grove 63-62 in the Class 3 District 10 semifinal, four of the team’s losses were by a single point. In addition, early-season suspensions and sickness caused the Bears to miss a few games.
“Once we had our team in practice and games consistently, we really started to play at a much higher level,” Cope said. “With a little luck, we could have won a few more games.”
To improve on last season’s record and challenge for both conference and district titles, Cope will need to find replacements for departed seniors Tayler Simpson and Dylan Dampier.
The 5-foot-10 Simpson was a versatile weapon for the Bears and did a little bit of everything on the court, according to Cope.
“[Simpson] was all conference and all district for us last season and had a tremendous season,” Cope said.
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Despite the graduation losses, key roster pieces are still in place for Conway. The team returns nearly 80% of its scoring and rebounding from last season.
Leading scorer Cody Delcour (14.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg) heads the list of returning lettermen. The 6-foot-2 senior also leads the team in 3-point shooting with 64 shots made from beyond the arc.
“Cody is hard to guard with an ability to score off the dribble as well as being one of the better shooters in the area,” Cope said. “His size and defensive ability make him our most well rounded player.”
6-foot-3 senior Gunnar Berger (12.1 ppg) gives the Bears another tough matchup and scoring option on offense.
“While not the most athletic player, [Berger] more than makes up for that with very good skill, IQ and shooting ability,” Cope said. “He scores in a variety of ways for us, and his ability to distribute the ball when not scoring is very important for our success this season.”
The pair are joined by three more seniors in 6-foot-4 Tanner Pippins, 6-foot-2 Hunter Wissbaum and 5-foot-9 Caleb Little.
Newcomers to the roster include Coly Vavruska, Jimmy Shockley and Ryder Berger.
Conway’s postseason success depends on how well it’s able to navigate a difficult schedule full of highly-competitive conference and district opponents. Perennial powers Hartville and Mansfield lurk at the top of the Summit Conference heap, and the Mountain Grove/Licking duo offer no respite in the district bracket, either.
“We fully expect to be in the middle of both the conference and district titles again this season,” Cope said. “We have a very tough schedule that will challenge us in a variety of ways to help prepare us for the post season.”
Conway opens jamboree play with Licking and Osceola at Marshfield Nov. 13. The Bears tip off regular season play against Crane Nov. 21.
