By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It’ll be a bit of a rebuild in Rob Guerin’s sixth season at Marionville.
While the Comets must replace four starters, what they do return is one of the conference’s best players in Bryer Guerin.
The junior guard averaged seven points, four rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals on his way to All-Southwest Conference honors.
“(Bryer) Guerin will be expected to take on more of a scoring role this year being the sole returning starter,” said Coach Guerin. “He works hard and leads by example, but will be asked to be more of a verbal leader as well. Bryer is our only returning starter and he will be needed to lead this team as we gain experience. He knows what it takes to be successful on and off the floor, so that is very valuable.”
Senior Owen Willis will also see an increased role after seeing time last year. He has a strong frame and despite being undersized, he’ll make an immediate impact.
“Willis improved a lot last year, and continued his growth throughout this summer,” said Guerin. “He works hard and will give us more size on the inside.”
Guerin is excited about several newcomers.
Senior Braydon Bellah will be a difference maker after taking last year off. He’s one of the best athletes Marionville has.
Junior Ryder White as well as a trio of sophomores – Garrison Smith, Mason Willis and Kannon Mace – will also see larger roles.
Senior David Brown, as well as juniors Braiden Reaves and Kolten Messenger, will also compete for varsity roles.
They’ll be undersized, but this could be one of the quickest teams that Guerin has had.
Marionville has been notorious for being an elite defensive unit under Guerin and that will continue this winter.
Another constant will be another deep playoff football run for the Comets, which could delay the start of basketball season again, something Guerin has become accustomed to.
“We try to get in as much time as possible during the summer so we can be prepared for the winter season,” said Guerin. “With successful football that goes deep into the postseason we are usually limited on practices and have to rely on our summer experience to help guide us in getting the team ready.
“The athletes that come from a winning program are usually competitive and play hard to be successful in any sport.”
Marionville has never been under .500 since Guerin took over and the program has won at least 16 games in four of those five seasons.
If that trend is to continue, Guerin believes it’ll come down to how quickly the Comets adjust to new roles and the spotlight of varsity games.
“We are only returning one starter and one other letterman, so we will need to gain experience fast and learn quickly,” said Guerin. “If we can develop as a team throughout the season, we should be competitive in conference and district games.”
Marionville will open the 2024-25 regular season by hosting the Marionville Tournament starting on Dec. 2.
