By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Walnut Grove has grown accustomed to losing big-time talent. Over the past four years, the Tigers have landed five players on the Class 1 All-State Team.
Only one of those honorees remain as Walnut Grove waved goodbye to Hunter Gilkey, the heart and soul of the squad, and two-time Class 1 Player of the Year Logan Thomazin. They were just two catalysts for an unprecedented three-year run for the boys program, one that yielded three straight state title game appearances.
It’s a tough ask for a small school, but Darin Meinders is used to these challenges.
“At a Class 1 level, you lose depth,” he said. “Last year, we had to play smart and could not get into foul trouble. It’s going to be the same thing this year.”
“Our preseason has been different than in the past. We hadn’t been doing a lot of work as far as individual stuff, but losing the players we lost means we have a lot of work to do. The kids have worked hard and I’m excited for what the season holds for us.”
Walnut Grove finished runner-up in Class 1 for the second time in three years with a 22-10 mark last winter. Seniors Dawson Meinders and Ryan Keith are the returning starters from that group with Meinders being the one remaining All-State selection.
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While Thomazin exits as the most prolific three-point shooter in state history, Meinders and Keith have more than enough firepower to keep the Tigers a long-range threat. They are also the top returning scorers with Meinders carrying a 17.8 points per game average while Keith accounted for 12.1 points to go with 4.6 rebounds, also a team-high.
Coach Meinders is confident the tandem will be the biggest producers for Walnut Grove this season.
“These two kids have never finished a season outside of playing for a state championship,” said Coach Meinders. “That’s hard to teach or coach. They’ve done a great job of being leaders and bringing the younger kids to where they need to be.”
Senior Peyton Verbeck, 6’2”, and junior Rylee Gavisk, 6’3”, will provide some much-desired length as they and sophomore Zach Hejna are all expected to take increased roles after getting bench minutes last winter.
Those may not be names that Polk County League fans are used to, but Coach Meinders believes they are ready to make the most out of their time and keep the Tigers a Class 1 contender.
“In the past, we had multiple kids that could put up 25 on any given night. These kids aren’t known, but if you leave them open, they’re going to make you pay. We’re still going to be able to play the same style, attack, and run the ball.”
“It’s a close-knit group. They feel like they have something to prove. They don’t want to be the ones that fail to keep this thing going.”
