The Huskies named Hunter Jutte their Most Outstanding Player during the boys basketball team’s annual awards dessert held on Feb. 24.
“He basically led us in every statistical category possible,” said Coach Brandon Gaskey. “When he played well, we had a lot better chance to win.”
Jutte scored 18.7 points per game, with more than five rebounds, two assists and 2.5 steals per game.
The team and coaches voted on the team awards.
Kyler Gaskey won the Hustle Award. Kevin Seiber won the Felix Wilkerson Sportsmanship Award. Ryan Adams received the Best Defense Award, and Daniel Virtue was named Newcomer of the Year.
Jutte earned his fourth letter in basketball, while Adams, a senior, won his third. Seniors Gaskey and Seiber won their second letters. They received their first their sophomore year, but both were out their junior year with injuries.
Also receiving their second letters were juniors Tyler Plebuch and Justin Tow and sophomore Daniel Virtue.
Receiving their first letters were seniors Brycen Mitten and Eric Burks; junior Jake Bangot; and sophomores Keanu Aiona, Justin Carpenter and Andre Holmes.
The Huskies ended their season fifth place in the Sky-Em League with a 2-8 record, 6-14 overall.
“Overall, I had a lot more hope going into it,” Gaskey said. “I didn’t realize the struggle offensively was as big a problem as it was going to be.”
He expected more offensive production throughout the roster, he said. The Huskies had some outstanding individual players, most specifically Jutte.
Gaskey thinks the guys would tend to watch him play, and they would pass up shots of their own at times because they were so willing to let Jutte do it all.
By the end of the season, the Huskies were seeing specialized defenses and box-and-one to take Jutte out of the game, Gaskey said. “It was kind of easy for other teams to scout us. It proved true if you stop Hunter Jutte you stop Sweet Home.”
Generally, the team didn’t shoot well.
Defensively, the Huskies started out slow, but they started picking it up later in the season until Plebuch was in a crash that took him off the floor for several games. That affected the team chemistry and rotation.
“I think we tended to run out of gas,” Gaskey said, but it was more mental than it was conditioning.
“I still think we could’ve competed with anybody in our league on any night.”
Next year, the Huskies should have a strong defensive unit that is fast, strong and versatile, Gaskey said, but this team will need to develop a more team-oriented offense. It won’t have another Jutte coming back.
Out on the wings will be Virtue and Tow, who are two of the team’s best defenders already, Gaskey said. Aiona will bring speed to the floor, while Bangot provides depth at point; and Carpenter is a tremendous shooter.
The team will need to spread its offensive production through the roster and shoot better, Gaskey said. He will focus on shooting as the Huskies move through a summer ball program.
“I enjoyed all the kids even though wins and losses didn’t add up the way we would’ve liked,” Gaskey said. “Those 13 kids on varsity are tremendous kids.”