He will flesh out the rest of the varsity roster with a combination of less-experienced players: senior Brian Wingert, juniors Martin Hoffkamp, Curtis Frederick, Brian O?Neal and Sean Jones, and sophomores Caleb Hilliard and Derek Price.
?The team will not have a lot of varsity experience entering the season,? he said. ?We will be looking for players to step up and contribute.?
With a guard-oriented group and no clear-cut post presence, Simmonds is taking a balanced approach to developing the team.
?We hope to build good depth with everyone battling for starting positions and playing time,? he said. ?We are lacking that true big man inside, but hope to use several players in the paint. We have good team speed and good overall size, and guard play will be critical for our success.?
According to Simmonds, the Warriors face a competitive group of teams in the league, with Bennington, Sedgwick, Hutch Trinity and Berean Academy expected to finish at the top.
Simmonds? extensive experience with the high school girls? team and with the junior high boys includes 154 games. But this will be his first season with the high school boys? team. He will be assisted by Caleb Good and Joseph Brunner.
The Warriors? season begins at Chase County on Friday, with a battle against the Marion Warriors slated for Dec. 9.
