By Brock Sisney (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
GRANBY — The East Newton Patriots return 10 players, including all five starters, from a team last season that made some noise in the Big 8 Conference.
East Newton served note to the rest of the Big 8 in early January after upending a state-ranked Nevada team, 50-49 at home, and the Patriots rattled off 10 straight victories en route to the Big 8 West title.
The Patriots lost three of their last four games, though, including their season-ending 59-50 loss against district champion Pierce City, and finished 16-10 overall.
Expectations are especially high for head coach Kyle Fields’ second season of his second stint at East Newton. His first stint at the school produced a district title (2016) and the Patriots have the potential to bring a district title home this season.
“This is rare but we have an exceptional group of maturity and a group that responds well to each other,” Fields said. “We feel that we have several players that can step up and lead at any time. We think all of our players have a great chance to emerge and become something very special. We are very excited about our young players, we think that they can really come on and help us be a deeper team with the contribution that we expect.”
Four of the five returning starters are seniors with three years of varsity starting experience behind them — Connor Killion, Lucas Kimbrough, Kyson Lehman, and Tanner Youngblood. Junior guard Kelton Sorrell rounds out what must be one of the most experienced starting lineups in the area.
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Lehman led the Patriots in scoring last season with 13 points a night, Killion demonstrated his versatility by leading the team in four vital statistical categories (rebounding, steals, blocks, and free throw percentage, his 83 percent from the line a high clip for any basketball player, let alone a high school player), and Kimbrough averaged a team-high 3.15 assists.
Lehman earned all-Big 8 West first team, Killion and Kimbrough each made second team, and Fields received top coach honors. Killion received an offer in June from NCAA Division I program Navy.
“Our goal is just to get better every day,” Fields said. “It’s important to just take it one day at a time and be better than we were the day before.
“A successful year for us is getting the most out of our players, team, and our program. We have to embrace growth as individuals and also as a team. If we can do these things, then we can do some great things together.”
East Newton opens the 2020-21 season Nov. 24 at home against Clever and the Patriots’ schedule also includes the Pierce City Invitational and the Neosho Holiday Classic, as well as games against Central Ozark Conference schools Webb City, Neosho, and Joplin. Webb City and Joplin both won district titles last season.
The Patriots’ football team canceled one game (McDonald County) due to COVID-19 related issues and there’s unlimited uncertainty moving forward in every sport, none of them wanting a repeat of what happened this past spring when the virus first made impact and forced the cancellation of collegiate and prep sports across the nation.
“This has been a tough, trying year so far,” Fields said. “We have still found time to get into the gym and get better. We are looking forward to this year and hope there will be a full basketball season for everyone.”
