THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Central High School Athletics

The Central boys basketball team is aiming for a league crown this season. "We should be competing to win the Southwestern League title," said coach Josh King. "I think less than that we will have underachieved." King, who is starting his second season as the Warriors' coach, said the team has been progressing more quickly than last season. Central has returning experience with seven seniors who earned plenty of playing time last season. That makes it nice for King, who said those seniors already know what is expected of them, which makes early season preparation easier. The Warriors have one of the premier big men on the Western Slope in senior Caleb Davis. Last season, he led the team at 10.8 points per game. His post play as a junior made him a defensive force as well. He averaged 11 rebounds and more than two blocked shots per game. Senior guard Ryan Kirby started every game last season and averaged 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. King said the duos' experience will be important for Central's success. The coach also pointed to senior Isaac Cameron, who started a few games and came off the bench, averaging 4.7 points and 2 rebounds per game. "The struggle we're going to have this year is I have seven seniors," King said. "I'm going to need guys who have bought in and realize not everyone is going to play 25 minutes a game." King acknowledged the overall experience will benefit the Warriors, adding depth, but said it will take time to determine how each player fits into the system. "I know we're going to have seven to 12 who can play," King said. "I'm going to try in the first half (of the season) to figure out where everybody is at." King said he is focused on helping the team remain consistent throughout the season. Last season was a story of two halves for the Warriors. The early season showed promise, with the team going 5-6 before the holiday break, but a four-game losing streak at the start of January left Central with its first losing season (9-14) since 2014-15. "We can't have a midseason hiccup," King said. "Last year after Christmas break, we went into a lull." King said he has been spending more time at practice on scrimmaging to help the players get the experience in game-like situations and be consistent throughout the season. He also said limiting mistakes would be a key to a successful season for the Warriors. "Early on I want to see us making less simple mistakes," King said. "Don't turn the ball over, do what you're supposed to do. I want us to be making mistakes, but at the hard things."

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Central High School Athletics

SWL TITLE THE GOAL FOR EXPERIENCED CENTRAL BOYS TEAM

DAN WEST

The Daily Sentinel | 11/28/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Chancey Bush