By Brock Sisney (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
GRANBY — The East Newton Patriots are off to a 18-1 start this season with 12 straight victories and the No. 5 spot in Class 4 in the latest state rankings from the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association.
The Patriots have already surpassed last season’s win total of 16 and they have defeated Central Ozark Conference opponents Joplin (Class 6), Webb City (ranked No. 4 in Class 5), and Neosho (Class 5) in non-conference games.
Their success should come as no major surprise, though, considering they returned all five starters from last season and their four seniors have been starting since they were freshmen. They are about as experienced as any high school basketball team can possibly be.
“I don’t know if there has been a best part of the season,” East Newton head coach Kyle Fields said, “but there have been so many fun memories and every day being around this group is a treat.
“I think that we have had teams in the past that have already planted the right seeds for the future. We had some very good teams in the past — several district championship appearances and a district championship win in 2016. What this team has done so far is very special, but this team will add to our tradition and expectations. There is no doubt about that.”
The Patriots’ four seniors are Connor Killion, Lucas Kimbrough, Kyson Lahman, and Tanner Youngblood, and they are joined by junior Kelton Sorrell and junior sixth man Gabe Bergen.
When asked to describe the starting lineup individually, Fields used “good teammate” for all five starters. All five average at least two assists per game, reflective of sharing the wealth.
Killion leads East Newton in rebounding at nearly six boards per contest and ranks second in scoring at 14.6. He averages three assists, two steals, and nearly one block. Fields said Killion causes mismatches in so many ways, given the senior wing’s 6-foot-5 frame and his ability to play on the perimeter.
Lahman leads in scoring at 14.7 and ranks right behind Killion in rebounding at 5.5. The Patriots’ go-to player in the post, Lehman shoots nearly 55 percent overall from the field and he’s made 82 percent of his free throws this season.
Kimbrough averages 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.0 steals, and he shoots a team-high 83 percent from the stripe, a great stat for the Patriots considering the ball’s in Kimbrough’s hands a great deal late in games. Kimbrough scored a game-high 21 points Thursday against Joplin and he also drew the assignment of guarding the Eagles’ explosive scorer, Always Wright.
Youngblood and Sorrell average around six points, Youngblood just above and Sorrell not far below, and Fields noted their defensive abilities.
Bergen averages seven points and four rebounds, and he leads the Patriots in offensive rebounds with 41. Bergen provided a considerable spark against Joplin, tallying a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out.
“Gabe has been a great sixth man for us,” Fields said. “He always gives us a spark and he has improved in the post. He is very intelligent and always hustles. He is a great asset.”
The atmosphere in East Newton’s gym Thursday could best be described as electric, beginning from the Patriots’ entrance to the band playing Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra” until the final whistle during a 66-50 victory.
After earning the Jay (Okla.) Tri-State Classic title with a 55-51 win against Metro, the team Tweeted “We are so proud of our guys. The bench was hyped and our fans continue to be the best in the 4 states!”
“Our fans and our community have been great all year,” Fields said after the Joplin win. “They’ve been behind us and championship games in tournaments or regular season games, we’ve had good turnout. I can’t say enough about them.”
East Newton started making noise last season, a 16-10 overall record highlighted by winning the Big 8 Conference West and a nine-game winning streak from mid-January through mid-February that began with a victory at home over state-ranked Nevada. The Patriots lost three of their last four down the stretch, however, and their season ended on a 59-50 loss to No. 6 seed Pierce City in the district quarterfinals.
“I think we were all disappointed after losing to a very good Pierce City team,” Fields said. “Everyone thought it was an upset, but they beat us twice last year. Of course, we thought we were a very good team, especially at the end of the year. Pierce City was older, a very mature group that started playing very well at the end of the year and beat three very good teams. That game is in the past for us and we are just concentrating on the next day and trying to be as good as we can be.”
East Newton plays in District 12 this season and the all-Big 8 district also features Aurora, Cassville, Mt. Vernon, Reeds Spring, and Seneca.
Mt. Vernon owns the distinction of being the only team to beat East Newton so far this season, 61-57 in overtime on Dec. 19.
The Patriots and the Mountaineers could play twice more this season.
East Newton and Mt. Vernon played for a district title in 2015, a game won by Mt. Vernon, and East Newton defeated Mt. Vernon in the district semis the previous season.
[wpbvideo playlistid=”44135″]
