CALHOUN BASKETBALL TEAM FACES CHALLENGES

(11/26/2010)
By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net

This time last year Calhoun High School basketball coach Danny Bunch was looking at a wealth of experience.

He had eight seniors who had played together for what seemed like ever. His team responded as a senior laden team should have, posting the Red Devils best won-lost record in nearly a decade and producing only the schools third first team all-state player.

Alas that player, Zach Moore, and seven of his buddies donned the cap and gown and become CHS alumni.

That leaves Bunch looking at the upcoming 2010-11 season as a building process.

He does feel the framework is there for good things if all the inexperienced players grow up fast and the few experienced players become team leaders.

Senior Bronson Clark is the only returning starter. He figures to play point guard again.

Other players with meaningful varsity playing time include Tyler Bennett and Caleb Schoolcraft.

Several others including Stuart Fitzwater, Quintin "Q Dawg" Murphy, Trent Phillips, Luke Moore, Ricky Hall, Caleb Richards and Derek Dawson all had playing time on the junior varsity last season while Jordan Panarello was a junior varsity starter as a freshman three years ago and Joe "Double Oh: Overbaugh was a junior varsity starter as a sophomore two years ago.

The rest of the 21-man roster are just starting their high school basketball careers.

The Red Devils open the season on the road at Ritchie County Dec. 7, 2010. It is the first of four straight road games to start the season.

Members of the Red Devils basketball team includes seniors: Clark, Bennett, Murphy, Fitzwater, Panarello, Richards, Overbaugh and David Villers; juniors: Schoolcraft, Nathan Cosgrove and Zach Thomas; sophomores: Hall, Phillips, Dawson, Moore and Jared Mounts and freshmen: Mason Sheldon, Ryan Slider, James Ball, Doug Parsons and Kameron Corder.

The Red Devils schedule: December: 7 at Ritchie, 9 at Wirt, 14 at Roane, 16 at Braxton, 21 Parkersburg Catholic, 23 Ritchie, 27-28 at Clarksburg Notre Dame Tournament; January: 4 Wirt, 6 Roane, 8 Clarksburg Notre Dame, Clay, 13 at Gilmer, 18 at South Harrison, 20 Braxton, 25 Gilmer; February: 1 at Doddridge, 3 South Harrison, 10 at Clay, 15 Doddridge, 17 LKC game at Calhoun, 22 at Parkersburg Catholic.