The bright lights of Peoria’s Carver Arena, is where we left the Tigers boys basketball team last winter. The very successful season ended in a defeat in the third place game against Stevenson. After advancing to state the past two seasons, this may seem like a routine for some Tiger hoops fans.
The difference between this year and years past is the experience that is returning. The company of Roundtree, Clay, and Fletcher was huge. Coach Mike Waldo explained that the only thing they can do is play to their niche like they do every year. “Once we start playing together every day, we will figure out what our strengths are,” Waldo said.
A big key component in having a successful team is having experience on the big stage. Senior Jordan Harris played a fair amount of time during the 2013 campaign, along with sophomore AJ Epenesa and Mark Smith. “We have a lot of guys coming out this year with talent,” Harris said. “We have to come to the gym every day wanting to get better and I think that will be shown when we step on the court.”
In previous years, Waldo has had a solid leader on the floor. From the tremendous abilities of Covington and Roundtree, these shoes will be tough to fill. Harris, being a senior that saw playing time as a junior, will take over the role as the playmaker. He will not only be playing solid minutes but his responsibility will be to keep the offense intact, but also lead the “Waldo offense,” that he has been practicing for years.
Like Harris, players who have been with the program and know how the offense is ran, is key to keeping everything organized on the court and to produce efficient scoring. The senior core includes Harris, Kyler Davis, Kendall Edmond, Virgil Lockett, Carter Marteeny and Dan Marinko.
Marinko, also the quarterback for the Tigers, has decided to step on the hardwood and join the rather inexperienced program. Sitting out his junior season, Marinko will be looked upon to lead the Tigers, as he and Harris experienced the most varsity time, Marinko as a sophomore and Harris as a junior.
Marteeny explained how he was glad to be back on the court after a season ending injury a year ago. “It feels good playing with good group of guys that are very encouraging towards each other,” Marteeny said.
The only goal for any team in high school is to make the season as long as possible. “We want to have a winning season, again,” Kendall Edmond said. “We want to make it to state.”
The boys’ basketball team will tip-off the season against Mater Dei in the Thanksgiving Highland Tournament on Nov. 24 at 8 p.m in Highland.