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The Goessel boys? basketball seniors are (from left) Kendall Voth, Travis Fensky, Austin Unruh, Niko Herman and Craig Banman. |
Entering Justin Coup?s 11th year as head coach, the Goessel High School boys? basketball team is all but certain to earn their coach?s 150th career win. Coup has posted a 146-74 record with the Bluebirds, and guided GHS to a Class 1A sub-state runner-up finish with an 18-7 season in 2007-08.
In 2008-09, Goessel returns four starters and 28.5 points per game. All four returning starters are seniors.
Austin Unruh, a 6-foot-3 forward, posted 10.1 points per game along with six rebounds. Kendall Voth averaged 6.1 points on the block opposite Unruh. Travis Fensky ran the point, averaging 5.1 points and 2.1 assists. Speedy guard Craig Banman averaged 7.2 points and 2.5 assists.
Apart from the four returning starters, the shape of the roster is less certain.
?Top newcomers remain to be seen, as many juniors and sophomores are going to battle for spots,? Coup said.
Returning letter-winner Weston Hiebert (6-3) is the leading candidate to step into the fifth spot in the starting lineup. He averaged 5.2 points and 4.1 rebounds, and will give the Bluebirds another substantial presence in the low post.
?We have many letter-winners returning from a team that lost in the sub-state championship,? Coup said. ?They seem to be eager and ready to push through again and make a run at state.
?However, many questions still arise,? he added. ?We have the most numbers in the program, but finding the right people who want to fit into their role will be important to how successful this year can be.?
Led by a cadre of field generals, the football team fought its way deep into the state tournament, but was stopped short of its highest goal by Madison.
?We have a good senior class who has excelled in football this year and we hope this will translate into good leadership on the basketball court as well,? Coup said.
Coup anticipates the Bluebirds will be one of the strong teams in the Heart of America league, with stiff competion from Sedgwick, Trinity, Berean, Inman and Moundridge.
The elite teams at the state level are, according to Coup: Crest, Hanover, Centralia, South Gray-Montezuma and St. John-Hudson.
