(Elk Horn) Exira-EHK has a big star to replace on their boys basketball team, but overall the Spartans will have more experience on the floor than they did last season.
Creighton Nelson is gone after averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. However, the team’s next four highest scorers are back led by Tyler Petersen who posted 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game as a junior. Also back in the starting lineup as a senior is Hunter Andersen. Head coach Doug Newton says, “Tyler Petersen and Hunter Andersen both started all year last year and gained a wealth of knowledge. It was kind of baptism by fire. They had to get thrown in there without much varsity experience. They gained a lot throughout this year. I think more than anything they’ve got more confidence and we know what to expect out of them and they are more comfortable with their situation.”
Other returning varsity assets include a couple of guys that played as freshmen. “Easton Nelson and Trey Petersen, both of those guys were literally thrown to the wolves last year. In some situations they weren’t ready mentally or physically. They powered through as best they could and they helped us out. They are more mature and I would say considerably better than they were a year ago.”
The freshman class is deep. “There’s probably going to be some in the mix. It’s a big class, there’s nine of them. It’s a good group. You about have to kick them out of the gym and I had doing that so we stay late sometimes. They bring a lot to the table, there’s some good players in there for sure.”
Coach Newton has liked the intensity the team has brought to practice. “Even in the sprints that everybody hates at the end they’ve been racing each other. They are getting after each other. The intensity is what I like. We probably had as good of a first week of practice as we’ve had in a long, long time.
The team goes from a roster size of 11 last year to 16 this year which should be a bonus. They’ll open the year at Glidden-Ralston on Tuesday.
