Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home will field a talented, versatile, seasoned boys basketball team that should be in the hunt for a league championship this year.
After losing nine games in a row, 33rd-ranked Huskies, 6-4 in league and a third-place league finish, broke away on a seven-game winning streak and were the big surprise in 4A post-season play last year, dramatically upsetting second-ranked Gladstone in the play-in round. Top-ranked Philomath eliminated the Huskies in the first round of playoffs before defeating fourth-ranked Gladstone rival La Salle for the state championship.
New Coach Brandon Gaskey is hoping to capitalize on the momentum this year as he takes the reins from Tim Porter and finish with a league championship.
“We are a pretty deep team, with talent,” Gaskey said. “I think we’re as talented as any team coming back in our league.”
The Huskies graduated starters Grant Kauffman and Bryce Daniels along with Kyle Rose and Chace Hutchins.
But they have two seniors back and three more who had to sit out last year due to injuries. The Huskies also have size they haven’t enjoyed for more than a decade, meaning they should have a rotation of big men in the middle, although Gaskey said he will certainly keep read and react in the toolbox. Junior Tyler Plebuch (6-5) will start at the post, bringing size to this year’s varsity squad. Senior Brycen Mitten (6-4), after a year off from basketball due to a broken thumb, adds more strength to the inside, along with sophomore Andre Holmes (6-4), a transfer from Central Linn.
Senior Kyler Gaskey (6-1) returns as a power forward after taking last season off to recover from surgery.
“We’ve been kind of patiently waiting for those kids to grow into their bodies,” Brandon Gaskey said, and they give the Huskies post as an option.
Returning seniors Hunter Jutte and Ryan Adams will start in guard positions, Gaskey said. Both have seen a lot of basketball over the years, and both are interchangeably capable of running point, something that will be handy when the team can take advantage of Jutte’s tremendous shooting ability at guard as well.
Senior Kevin Seiber, who also had to sit out last season due to a broken leg, will start at small forward and brings a nice outside shot.
It’s a traditional lineup, Gaskey said. “But we have the ability to go small or go big as need be.”
The Huskies will run a four-out read-and-react offense, along with some traditional motion sets to get everybody involved in touching the ball, he said. The team will be able to run or slow down into a half-court offense.
On defense, they’ll run man-to-man, dropping into zones as necessary depending on matchups.
It can be one point and all posts or all guards, Gaskey said. It gives the team a versa and a variety of scoring options.
Junior Justin Town (6-0) brings strength and versatility as a sixth man, able to work at guard or get physical in the center. Junior Jake Bangot will back up the point guard position, and senior Eric Burks round out the full-time varsity squad.
Swinging from JV will be sophomores Justin Carpenter and Daniel Virtue, both tremendous athletes and good scorers, Gaskey said. They’ll swing to ensure they see more playing time, but he foresees meaningful minutes on the varsity floor for both.
Last year’s performance “got them a taste of making it past the first round, that hunger, that yearning to extend the season,” Gaskey said of his team. The squad has tasted a lot of success over the years, and he sees it continuing.
“More than the talent, it’s the emotional stability,” Gaskey said. “I have no doubt we have the talent to be competing in the final eight teams of state.
“These are a great group of kids, and they enjoy being around each other. I don’t see any reason why we can’t have a very successful season.”
But Gaskey doesn’t want to get too far ahead too quickly.
“I’m going to take a page from the Ducks football program,” Gaskey said. “I’m going to take it one day at a time.”
That means his first goal is take the team to the top of the league and then evaluate where the Huskies are at going into post-season play.
Between now and the end of league play are some strong opponents.
“Cottage Grove will be good again,” Gaskey said. “They’re a quality program. Their coach has been at it for a long time.”
Sisters is well-coached, Gaskey said, but he’s not sure the talent is top-tier this year.
Elmira gets a lot of seniors back, and they play a helter-skelter type of ball, creating chaos on the floor to the Falcons’ advantage, Gaskey said, while Junction City competes well and will probably be middle of the pack this year.
New to the league this year, Sutherlin is unknown, Gaskey said.
Gaskey looks to Elmira and Cottage Grove to be the toughest league opponents.
“I think people will expect us to play well,” Gaskey said.
Gaskey is assisted by Ryan Graville this season. Drew Emmert will head up the JV squad, and Scott Bozich will coach JV 2. Eric Plebuch will assist with JV and “big man” varsity players.
The JV includes juniors Greg Staten, Seth Erickson, Ryan Hackworth, Allen Madero, Tyler Burch, Isiah Miller and sophomores Keanu Aiona, Carpenter, Chance Holley, Virtue and Kyle Thornton.
JV 2 includes sophomores Bryce Spencer, Alonso Perez and Tristan Graham and freshmen Nick Marler, Gerad Romero, Jackson Lynn, Brady Newport, Jesse Martin, Keegan Holly, Jacob Ericson and Daniel Batchelor.