Galena Grizzlies
2015-16 league record: 10-6, third in SL
2015-16 postseason: L to Carson in regional semis, 51-38
Number of returning starters: 2
Key returners: Dillon Voyles, Moses Wood
Notable losses: Noah Peck, Zach Williams
Coach: Brian Voyles, fifth season
Season outlook: Galena started last season as one of the more inexperienced teams in the region, but once it found its footing, was as good as any down the stretch. The Grizzlies won seven of eight, including an upset win at Spanish Springs in the regional quarterfinals, before falling to eventual regional champion, Carson, in the semifinals. Fifth-year coach Brian Voyles believes last year’s finish is something his team can build on. He added that with an experienced core coming back this season, his team is already ahead of last year’s schedule. Senior forward Dillon Voyles is one of the early frontrunners for player of the year after averaging 16.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a junior. Junior Moses Wood figures to play a larger role this winter following a sophomore campaign that saw him average 5.8 points and 4.4 rebounds a night. Both will have to help fill the void left by Zach Williams and Noah Peck, who graduated. Williams averaged 16.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. Peck averaged 8.1 points.
Bishop Manogue Miners
2015-16 league record: 11-5, second in SL
2015-16 postseason: L to McQueen in regional semis, 62-45
Number of returning starters: 3
Key returners: Aidan Cantwell, Brevon Bansuelo, Gabe Bansuelo
Notable losses: Johnny Reiley
Coach: Moe Golshani, first season
Season outlook: First-year coach Moe Golshani is scrapping it all. Namely, the Miners’ pace. Bishop Manogue has traditionally played a half-court game, but that will not be the case this year. The Miners have spent much of the preseason conditioning and will try to run whenever they can this winter. Expect the same defensively. “We want to make sure everyone is uncomfortable both physically and mentally when the play us,” said Golshani, who was an assistant for the Bishop Manogue JV program last year. “I’ll just leave it at that.” Golshani does have three starters returning, but behind those three, it’s a lot of new faces. More than half of the Miners’ roster is made up of players who have not played a minute of varsity basketball. The Miners will also have to replace the productivity of Johnny Reilly, a first-team selection last year.
Carson Senators
2015-16 league record: 16-0, first in SL
2015-16 postseason: Regional champs; L to Coronado in state semis, 53-43
Number of returning starters: 2
Key returners: Tez Allen, Jayden DeJoseph
Notable losses: Asa Carter, Jared Rooker
Coach: Carlos Mendeguia, fifth season
Season outlook: The good news for the Senators? They return first-team forwards Tez Allen and Jayden DeJoseph. The bad news? It is unknown where else production will come from. Last year’s player of the year, Asa Carter, graduated. Second-team point guard Jared Rooker graduated. Second-team forward Jace Keema will likely miss the season with an injury suffered as Carson’s quarterback in the fall. Carson rode its experience last year to an undefeated league record and a regional title. This year, fifth-year coach Carlos Mendeguia had to call up a few young guards from the JV team just to fill roster spots. Carson has traditionally been a defensive team that tries to slow the game down. With so many pieces gone from last year’s team, that will ring especially true this year.
Douglas Tigers
2015-16 league record: 8-8, fourth in SL
2015-16 postseason: L to Reno in regional quarters, 67-56
Number of returning starters: 1
Key returners: Tre Jackson
Notable losses: Jace Hart, Zach Kellar, Tanner Williams
Coach: Corey Thacker
Season outlook: Douglas is another in a long line of 4A North teams that will try to replace a lot of production from last year’s senior class. The Tigers lost seven players to graduation and will likely look to Tre Jackson and Dalton Davis to assume larger roles in the offense. Jackson is the leading returning scorer, averaging 5.7 points per game last year. Davis is the second-leading returning scorer. He scored 4.4 points and grabbed three rebounds a night as a junior.
Damonte Ranch Mustangs
2015-16 league record: 4-12
2015-16 postseason: None
Number of returning starters: 2
Key returners: Drew Dramboise, Nyaabila Apambire, Jordan Thomas, Jordan Aguilar
Notable losses: Brett Cooper, Cameron Criss, Jack Dailey
Coach: DJ Moore, second season
Season outlook: The Mustangs had three players receive all league accolades a season ago. Two are gone. Guard Brett Cooper was a second-team selection while Cameron Criss, another guard, received honorable mention. Junior Drew Dramboise (guard) is the lone returner from a postseason list a season ago. He also received honorable mention. Damonte finished one spot out of the postseason last year and to potentially make the field this year, second-year coach DJ Moore hopes to take advantage of opportunities his man-to-man defense will create. There were times a season ago the Mustangs would get stagnant on the offensive end. Moore hopes to put an end to that in 2016-17.
Wooster Colts
2015-16 league record: 1-15
2015-16 postseason: None
Number of returning starters: 2
Key returners: Myster Smith, Ben Ginn
Notable losses: Isaac Zinnerman, Sam Tranberg
Coach: Jose Parra, third season
Season outlook: It’s been a rough go for the Colts of late. To help change their fortunes, third-year coach Jose Parra will lean on Myster Smith, who’s received Sierra League honorable mention twice, and Ben Ginn, who saw a lot of minutes as a sophomore and will assume the starting point guard position this winter. Wooster won’t have a large margin for error, so playing fundamentally sound will be essential. “(We have to) play with discipline and effort consistently every possession,” Parra said. “If we can take of the ball, defend and rebound night in and night out, we will have a successful season.”
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