The North Butler basketball teams will travel north for their first doubleheader Tuesday against Northwood-Kensett. It’ll air on 104.9 KLMJ.
The boys return several key contributors from last season’s 8-15 team, including seniors Jax Thorne, Brody Wangsness and Trager Pecha, along with junior Tucker Pecha. Sophomores Jarett Shear and Wrigley Endelman are also expected to see increased minutes as the team works to replace Kamdon Boos, who graduated in the offseason. Heading into the opener, head coach Austin Guerrero says the team will rely on pace and defensive pressure this season.
“If we can play fast, can get up and down, we can get some easy baskets in transition that’ll help us out on the offensive side of the ball,” says Guerrero. “And then defensively is where we kind of hang our hat. We were the second, we held the teams to the second lowest scoring average in the conference last year on the top of Iowa East. We’re gonna continue to pressure defensively, get up in the passing zones and passing angles and try to get some easy baskets and transition through turnovers.”
Northwood-Kensett begins its boys’ season after going 20-4 last year and winning the Top of Iowa East with a 12-2 conference record. The Vikings return no starters from that lineup.
The Bearcat girls will look to build on their 54-34 win over Belmond-Klemme last week, a game in which Jady Thorne set a program record with seven 3-pointers. Northwood-Kensett’s girls finished 0-22 last season and recently dropped their home opener to North Iowa.
The doubleheader starts at 6:15 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m.
