New coach set to steward young Wampus Cats
CLARK FORK — A new head coach and a team of mostly underclassmen will take the court for the Clark Fork boys basketball team this season, looking to gel and make a run to the state tournament.
George Thornton, a longtime Clark Fork assistant boys and girls coach who guided the 1999 and 2000 Wampus Cat boys to state tournaments, takes over for Corey Vogel, who stepped down after a solid run.
Unfortunately for Thornton, the Wampus Cats, who finished 4-16 last season, will be without the services of senior Eich Anderson, a possible North Star League Player of the Year candidate who injured his knee during the football season.
Looking to help replace the team’s leading scorer and rebounder from last season will be juniors Spencer Jeffres and Hunter Boudousquie, a pair of 6-foot-3 players who will anchor the blocks for the Wampus Cats. Thornton plans to run much of the offense through the pair, who each bring a unique skill set to the floor.
“Hunter is a good jumper. He’s a good shooter when he squares up, and he jumps well enough to get his shot off,” described Thornton, also lauding Jeffres. “He’s our best in-your-face shooter. He battles in there.”
Junior Jensen Heisel will join Jeffres and Boudousquie in the front court, and could be one of the team’s best rebounders.
“Jensen is our most physical defensive player,” said Thornton. “He’s a kid we’re going to depend on.”
Running the show will be sophomore point guard Wade Stevens, fresh off a great season in a similar role as Clark Fork’s quarterback. Thornton is hoping the same traits that helped him on the gridiron serve him well on the hard court.
“We need him to develop in to a floor general. Once he uses his quickness, he’ll be all right,” said Thornton of his point guard. “He can really get things moving.”
Senior James Cope joins sophomore Bryant Moore and junior Conorey Vogel to give the Cats three players capable of executing the triangle offense that Thornton hopes to run.
“A lot of screens, cuts, picks and rolls, a lot of movement,” described Thornton. “We should be competitive inside if we can get the ball to them (posts).”
Freshman Theo Icardo and sophomore T.J. Henderson are both good perimeter shooters, and will help spread the floor as the Cats looks to work some inside-out offensive sets.
“We can pass the ball,” said Thornton. “We’ve got some spot up shooters.”
In a season-opening 56-23 loss to North Idaho Christian on Monday, the Cats struggled offensively, no doubt missing the scoring presence of Anderson. As the season progresses, other young players are going to have to step up and fill the void in scoring.
“We’re working on shooting, which is one of our worst things,” admitted Thornton. “We’re intense. In the opener, we were too intense.”