What Can Trojans Do For Encore?
BOURBON – It took a complete team effort from an opponent most in northern Indiana had never heard of to keep Triton from hanging its second boys basketball championship banner from the rafters. It was those 32 minutes from Borden that has the 2013-14 Triton Trojans more focused than ever on getting back to Indianapolis.
Borden’s 55-50 in the Class 1-A state championship game last March ended Triton’s mystical run which had the Trojans playing some of the best defensive basketball in some time. Holding opponents to 39 points per game in the five tournament games up to the state championship, head coach Jason Groves’ plan was working to a tee.
That framework will be relied upon heavily again this season as Triton looks to rebuild it premier product.
Triton will have some real work to do just filling holes, as five seniors graduated including possibly the most decorated in the program’s history, Clay Yeo.
Averaging 26 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a beast on the defensive end, the now Valparaiso University freshman Yeo garnered All-State and even McDonald’s All-American looks among his bookshelf of accolades. Yeo’s absence will be incredibly tough to fill, as will the other senior losses as well as the transfer of senior Cody Shively, now at Mishawaka.
Addressing the structure has been Groves’ first order of business.
“The goal at the beginning of the year is to always win a state title, and last year I think we fell one quarter short,” Groves said. “It was disappointing. But our kids got a taste of that, and losing so much from last year, the kids have still talked about getting back there and winning the whole thing. We set the standard high and that’s what we shoot for.”
Triton will stick to defense first, score second and do return plenty of experienced players from last year’s state run.
Heading the returning list are senior Tanner Shepherd and juniors Joey Corder and Skyler Reichert. Shepherd brings in a shooting touch, hitting for 44 percent of his field goals and 30 percent of his three-point attempts, scoring 11.2 points per game. Corder returns as the point guard, having grown in the offseason and should be primed to have a breakout season. Reichert was a three-point specialist for the Trojans, especially in the postseason. Groves feels Reichert is the best pure shooter in the program, and should help Triton spread out opposing defenses.
“Our building block throughout the years has been to deserve success, you have to earn success,” Groves said. “You have to do it each day in practice, every year. The kids understand that. They understand what it takes to win and how to get there, so we don’t have to start all over if we lose a bunch of kids to graduation like we did. The kids have bought in to that, which makes everyone’s jobs a lot easier.”
It’s been role players that have helped Triton reach the state finals four times in the past six years. Groves feels three seniors – Darren Harrell, Dillon Meadway and Bryce Wanemacher – as well as Jordan Anderson and Austin Sellers could step into varsity rotation without much trouble.
Triton will maintain its brutal non-conference slate to open the season, just the way Groves likes it. Two early-December matchup at home with Plymouth (Dec. 3) and NorthWood (Dec. 6) will tell the initial tale. A Jan. 3 visit to Warsaw renews the growing backyard rivalry and the Northern State Conference matchups at John Glenn (Jan. 11), at Culver (Jan. 17) and home with LaVille (Feb. 8) should have a huge say in who wins the NSC.
Triton opens play Nov. 27 at home against Oregon-Davis.