By Scott Vanscoy (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Jerry Martin begins his third season as head coach at the School of the Ozarks. The Patriots went undefeated in the Mark Twain Conference (6-0) while compiling a 17-6 record overall. The Patriots have won the Mark Twain the past two seasons and are looking for a third straight conference championship.
Gone from last year’s team is Billy Evans. Evans was named to 1st team All District, All MTC, and All Branson Daily News. Evans was the Patriots’ leading scorer and a great team leader. He set high expectations and was a good big brother to the younger kids.
Also graduating was Jed Black and Keyton Smith. Black averaged about 8 ppg but will be missed because he was a steady ball handler and good defender. Smith came off the bench, was an outstanding defender and a model of character and gratitude. “Billy and Jed, as well as the other seniors, were spiritual and character leaders,” said Martin.
Four seniors return to the Patriot roster this year: Zach Martin, Nate Brown, Jackson Williams, and Abe Martin.
“Martin and Brown are good leaders and set the tone daily,” said Coach Martin. “I am really proud of this entire senior class, however. They are close and they include the under classmen. I expect a season with good cohesiveness and camaraderie, and a lot of fun, but they are also serious about success.”
Zach Martin is an excellent shooter and ball handler. The 5’10” Martin averaged 15pts per game last year and really started to heat up towards the end of the season. He shot 42% from the 3 point line in his last 13 games. For his efforts, Martin was named to the 1st team MTC, and the 1st All District team.
Nate Brown (6’2”) also made the First-Team All-Mark Twain Conference team. Brown relies on his defense and relentless effort night in, night out while putting in 15 points a game.
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Jackson Williams (6’2”) is a solid defender and rebounder who started most of the games last year. Rounding out this senior quartet is Abe Martin (6’3”). Martin is usually the first forward off the bench. He has great energy and desire and will be a huge asset for the Patriots this year.
Five new faces will look to be in the mix for playing time on the varsity. Senior Will Shafer (5’9”) saw limited time last year but should be a solid part of the rotation this year. Shafer will be counted on to provide great defense when he is in the game.
Juniors Jack Carswell (6’ 5”) and Ben Black (6’3”) also will be looking for those varsity minutes. Carswell has grown almost seven inches since his freshmen year; he is a solid ball handler and understands the game well. Black saw a little varsity time last year, but with seven seniors, minutes were hard to come by. He did a great job on JV that prepared him to be a much needed contributor at the forward spot.
Two sophomores will be competing as well for vasity time; Dawson Sherer (5’10”) and Justice Reynolds (6’0”). Sherer is a quick, good athlete that will see varsity minutes. He is a good defender and has knowledge of the game. Reynolds was a JV player last year and will challenge people daily in practice. He has a desire to improve and loves the game.
Among the seven schools in the Mark Twain Conference, there could possibly be four or five teams vying for the top spot. School of the Ozarks has a lot of size which will make them one of the favorites. New Covenant Academy matches up with well with the Patriots size-wise, but Bradleyville, Hurley, and Chadwick are all very scrappy teams and will push for the Conference title.
“Districts will be tough,” said Coach Martin. “We are class 1 size but play class 2 in district due to the multiplier. I think 5 different teams may be good enough to win the district; Crane, Marionville, and Blue Eye all stand out.”
