Looking out over the Oakland-Craig High School gymnasium Monday evening, Fort Calhoun boys basketball coach TJ O'Connor was filled with anticipation.
“We're just going to try to mix some lineups up a little bit and see where guys are at,” he said before his team played two exhibition quarters apiece against Ralston and the host Knights. “Just, kind of, give them that first taste of action and, hopefully, build their confidence and get them ready to go for the real thing come Friday.”
Just one Pioneer — senior Grayson Bouwman — returns to the lineup this season after starting every game he played in last winter. As a result, FCHS' coaching staff wanted to see its new roster compete before it opens the year officially 7:15 p.m. today against Fremont Bergan.
“It'll be good for us to play tonight and just kind of see somebody different,” O'Connor said. “Hopefully we'll get a better feel for things we need to get better at.”
Calhoun started Travis Skelton, Adam Elofson, Declyn Otte, Colby Bentley and Bouwman and beat both the Rams and Oakland. Bouwman and Otte scored the first two baskets of the 36-17 two-quarter victory against Ralston before the Pioneers held off the Knights late, 24-20.
Going into the night, O'Connor said his team had been showing good effort in practice.
“We've got guys that have played a lot of basketball,” he said. “They just haven't played a lot at the varsity level.”
Bouwman has, though. The Morningside University recruit contributed as a freshman and helped lead the Pioneers to the state tournament — FCHS' first in 99 years — as a sophomore. Last year, the guard average 17.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, too.
This season, though, Bouwman will have a whole new cast of cohorts. Monday's starters played many minutes alongside Eli Tinkham, Chase Premer and Blake Welchert as well.
Senior Morgan Ishii is another veteran on the roster, too.
“It's been exciting,” O'Connor said. “I'm excited to see them grow and develop. It's a lot different than playing summer ball and things like that.”
It starts today, but there's a lot of season ahead. The coach said he's looking forward to how good the Pioneers can be by February.
