SYRACUSE – Most teams would like to build on the experience in place, but in 2015-16, Wawasee High School’s varsity boys basketball squad won’t have that luxury. The Warriors graduated seven seniors from last year’s 13-12 sectional finalist team, and have four seniors on this year’s team with limited experience. “I’ve been really, happy with our four seniors, who haven’t seen much playing time on the varsity level. They’ve been waiting their turn and they’ve all had a good summer,“ said Wawasee head coach Steve Wiktorowski. “They’ve all noticeably improved. I think they’ve really taken the challenge that this is finally the chance they’ve been waiting for. They want to prove themselves. “I think Jayce Boatwright has set the precedent for us; his work ethic is just incredible. He’s been a player that, to be honest, has struggled with consistency. He shows flashes, but at times he’s struggled, especially last year, to put things together. I think he’s ready to step up and take a lot of the load the seniors left, especially with scoring and taking the big shot, and being the main focus of this team offensively. “Chase Rookstool has improved tremendously as an offensive player. His confidence has really gone up now. He’s hitting jump shots he wouldn’t consider taking before. “Parker Hatfield, I’ve always thought, is an athlete who has potential. He’s worked hard at trying to play hard all the time and at both ends of the floor. So I think he’s going to help us. “Stephon Miller has taken a huge step forward. I think he’s probably the surprise at practice so far this year. He’s taken over the point guard position; never played it. So there’ll be a learning curve with him. That’s not an easy thing to do. He can penetrate, which is a real key, If you can find someone who can penetrate and break down defenses, you’ve got something, and he’s done that really well in practices. If he can do that in games, that’s going to help us tremendously. This year’s varsity roster includes just two juniors. “We have Tyler Smith, who didn’t play last year because of a knee injury. He showed some good progress in football, and he’s making the adjustment to a hard surface. He’s a kid with a great mind, and had a really good freshman season, and we’ve been waiting for him. We’re hoping he can get back to where he was,” Wiktorowski said. “Tim Conley is a player we think has potential. He plays both inside and outside. He has a good shooting stroke, and that’s something that’s maybe not our strength right now, so he can help us that way.” There’s an opportunity for underclassmen to get a lot of varsity experience right away. Between varsity and junior varsity rosters, there are 15 sophomores and a freshman listed. “The thing is we’re probably going to have five sophomores on the varsity, and they’re going to play,” Wiktorowski said. “We’ve got a very strong sophomore class, and we’ve got some kids on the JV that can play. Caden Wegener has played really well this fall so far, and will be looking at a possible starting position. He can handle the ball, he can shoot and has shown a lot of intelligence for a sophomore. “We’ve got a lot of unknows in that we’ve got a lot of kids who we’ve never put on a varsity floor. We’re not sure how they’re going to react. It’s hard to predict how we’re going to start, but I think this team is going to improve a lot over the course of the season.” While last year’s team peaked at the right time, they left behind something they would rather have not. Wawasee has a current 28-game Northern Lakes Conference losing streak. While the streak isn’t ignored, it’s not a focal point for this year’s team, either. “We don’t even talk about it; I’ll be honest with you,” Wiktorowski said. “I think that’s a big burden to put on these kids who’ve never stepped on a varsity floor before. And there’s nobody more aware of it than they are. I think they’ve already got enough pressure on them. “That streak is not out there due to a lack of effort, or lack of preparation, or a lack of realizing that streak is on the line. If anything I think it’s been too big a burden. Our kids have played tight and it’s noticeable. Right now, let’s just get off to a good start, and we’ll do the best we can when the (conference season) comes, just like we always have, and let it take care of itself.” Wawasee opens its season Tuesday at Fairfield, and opens NLC play at Warsaw Dec. 18.
