By John Miller (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It’s a whole new team for the Glendale Falcons this coming basketball season. Five starters and nine total lettermen have graduated, including the stellar backcourt duo of Monty Johal and Jordan Walton, both furthering their basketball careers at the next level. It’s a new team this year and playing time is up for grabs.
“We have a lot of guys who have waited their turn to play, and now it’s their time,” said coach Brian McTague, who enters his sixth year at Glendale with a record of 89-48. He’s 233-123 overall in 13 years as a head coach. “We aren’t necessarily young, we’re just inexperienced at the varsity level. I feel like we have a strong nucleus of guys that will produce for us, with several guys that we can plug in around them to fill the gaps. Role definition, team buy-in, and mental toughness will determine our success. If we accept roles and are unselfish, we have a chance to be as good as anyone coming down the stretch in February and March.”
The Falcons graduated an entire varsity roster last year. Johal, Walton, Jaxon Davis, Garrett Freeman, Dylan Metivier, Adam Hirsch, Tyler Johnson, Mitch Marsh, and Jeremiah Epps all got diplomas in May and went their separate ways. Johal is now playing for Tennessee State, Walton is at the prep school Link Year, and Davis is playing collegiately at Westminster College. Johal was named 1st Team All-State, All-Ozarks, All-District, and All-Conference. Walton was picked as 1st Team All-Ozarks, All-District, and All-Conference. Davis was named 1st Team All-District and All-Conference.
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With so many players gone, the Falcons will lean on the play of its three returning lettermen: senior Winston Quinn, senior Jordan Kerr, and junior Jadon Gilpin. Quinn averaged 7.1 points per game last year and made 48 3-pointers, shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. Kerr averaged 1.8 points, seeing action in 23 of Glendale’s 27 games. Giplin averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds and should take a big step forward this season.
“Winston is one of the top shooters in the area,” McTague said. “At 6-foot-3, he also has great length on defense. Jordan is a tough guard and should be one of our better defenders. Jordan has a chance to be a difference maker on both sides of the ball.”
Glendale will also lean on the play of a large group of newcomers, including seniors Sam Frech and Cameron Housley, juniors Jackson Osborn, Karter Lowery, Shivell Crosby, Travon Cooper and Chase Killian and Isaac Hill, and freshmen Carter Harrell and Aaron Ledgerwood.
“I think we have a young, but talented team,” Quinn said. “People are writing us off after losing almost our entire roster from last year, but I think we will surprise some people.”
Added Kerr: “We should have a good year, which no one expects because we lost all of our starters. We’ll have a lot of people doubting us, but we’re excited to see what this season holds.”
Noted Gilpin: “I’m looking forward to playing with a new group of guys and seeing what we can do. I think we can do good things and surprise a lot of people.”
