Grundy Center will travel to South Hardin for the opening basketball doubleheader for both schools Tuesday.
The Tiger girls will begin their season with one returning starter from last year’s team that went 10-14.
“Those stats are hard to look at,” First-year head coach Kellie Drury says. “When I watched last year, it was pretty hard to see. They have the ability, they’ve just got to put it together. Our main goal is to try to get these girls to come together as a team and to work together and put their skills to work to be able to have better outcomes after each game. I don’t expect it to be right out of the gate, but I hope it comes and once it does come that it’s a ride that we can all have fun with.”
Returning starter Ayda Eller was last year’s second-leading scorer at 8.2 points per game.
#10 (2A) Grundy Center defeated Union 67-37 in last week’s opener. Four players scored in double figures, led by Kali Aldrich with 14 on 66 percent shooting.
It’ll be the season opener for both boys teams. With a new-look lineup under first-year head coach Owen Thomas, the Spartans will look to continue the momentum built by consecutive state tournament appearances. Thomas expects a physical matchup.
“They’re kind of in the same boat as us, playing in the semifinal football game,” Thomas says. “So it’ll be a good battle, week one game one, and it will be extremely physical, especially if the refs are going to let them play. We’ve got a whole bunch of football players out there, our top guys are football players, their top guys are football players. So we’re looking to embrace the challenge. We’re gonna try to play fast, we’re gonna try to win loose balls. And I think they’re a very solid team, a well-coached team. And if we don’t come ready, and the boys know this, if we don’t come ready, we’re going to have our hands full. And the key of practice for us has been just making sure we have every situation covered, top to bottom. So that way, coaches do our part so the kids can play without thinking. So that’s our goal.”
South Hardin went 12-12 last season. Jake Balvanz and Sam Benson each scored 10 points per game and are back as the potential scoring leaders.
The doubleheader will start at 6:15 p.m.
