By Chris Parker
Mansfield boys basketball was young last year with three of the six players who saw time in every game being freshmen. The Lions finished 4-20 in coach Cody Shelton’s first season.
“I learned it is a difficult task for 14 year olds to compete against 18 year olds,” Shelton said. “Our boys did a great job of competing against bigger, stronger, and faster opponents. As a team we learned the value of leadership and team chemistry.”
That experienced gained last year should help this season. Tom Emerick was the team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder in his first year averaging 12.3 points and 9 rebounds per game.
“Tom is a hard working player, who spends a lot of time in the gym. His athleticism helped him find the early success on the varsity level,” Shelton said. “He has grown physically and his role as a leader for this team has improved. He has put time in the weight room with his team mates this summer and is looking forward to this season.”
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Senior Troy Kelley will be a leader for the team and look to increase his production.
Sophomores London Dennis, Dylan Henry, Chase Kelley, Chase Noble and Chase Cartwright give Mansfield a solid sophomore core to lean on. Noble and Cartwright each played in 24 games last year averaging 6.8 and 5.0 points per game.
Juniors Rylan Adams, Madix Gray and Ethan Bennett along with sophomore Kannon Smith will be newcomers to the varsity level. Adams is a transfer from Concordia.
“Our identity will be playing good defense and winning the rebounding battle every night,” Shelton said.
Mansfield will open the season on Nov. 24 at Forsyth.
“We hope to improve as the season progresses and be able to compete every night. Without knowing our district until later in the season it is tough to know where we will land,” Shelton said. “We are a young team that went through some growing pains last season after losing a great senior class the year before. We will still be young but we are looking to win the games that last season we were not able to break through. We lost 10 or more games by less than 5 points. Finishing games will be a key to our improvement. The quickness that our new varsity players adjust will also be a factor.”
