West wins a thriller on Troutman's buzzer-beater

Michael Justus/Times-News

West Henderson's Kagan Williams tries to drive past North Buncombe's Black Westbrook during Tuesday's game at West.

By Dean Hensley
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 7:45 a.m.

West Henderson’s final game of 2008 will be remembered as its best.

Tuesday night at the West Christmas Doubleheader, the nightcap came down to the final minute, and what a final minute it was. North Buncombe’s Randy Pressley, arguably one of the best rebounders in the state, had an offensive rebound and put back with 5.3 seconds left, giving the Blackhawks a 54-53 lead.

But West answered with Daniel Hyatt hitting Kagan Williams on the inbounds pass, and Williams firing to a streaking Adam Troutman across the lane. Troutman then rolled the ball off his fingertips at the buzzer, and the ball found the net as the home crowd erupted after the thrilling 55-54 win.

“Kagan made a great assist, and I knew I didn’t have much time so I just jumped as far and as high as I could and fingerolled it in,” Troutman, who finished with a team-high 14 points, said. “It was my first game-winner, and it feels fantastic.”

Teammates surrounded him and showered him with high-fives.

“The thing about Adam is that he’s got a quick jump shot, and that makes him hard to defend,” Falcon coach Rob Bliss said. “For a senior who didn’t get to get to play a lot last year to be able to step in like he has this year and hit a shot like that, it’s big.”

It was a see-saw affair throughout, with the Blackhawks building a nine-point lead at 50-41 following six quick points from Pressley, who ended the night with a game-high 18 points. But the Falcons rallied for a 10-0 run to take the lead back after Kevin Thomas’ layup with 50 seconds left.

North Buncombe (6-6) answered with a quick jumper by Alex Roberson that made it 52-51, but the Falcons took the lead right back when Hyatt drained a 10-footer, setting up the two last-second shots by both teams.

Hyatt (10 points and 10 rebounds) and Troutman (10 rebounds) both had double doubles for West (5-5). Thomas was the only other Falcon in double figures with 13 points.

In the girls opener, a depleted Lady Falcon squad stayed close with the Lady Blackhawks for the first period but ran out of gas down the stretch to fall 55-32.

Nicole Gentry led North Buncombe with 16 points, and Sydney Revis was close behind with 13.

“We had a one-point loss last night, so I was proud for the girls to come back from that,” Lady Blackhawk coach Robby Parker said.

Kaitlyn Burton had 11 rebounds for West (2-8), and Danielle Dinardo had four steals.

“Their press hurt us, and they really beat us on the boards,” West coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy said.

West’s boys and girls return to action Friday night at home against T.C. Roberson.

Summaries

BOYS

NORTH BUNCOMBE (54) — Bridges 4, Pressley 18, MacDowell 6, Ledbetter 6, Westbrook 3, Magee 4, Roberson 7, Fox 2, Bailey 4.

WEST HENDERSON (55) — Thelan, Young 6, Roberts 8, Williams 2, Troutman 14, Thomas 13, Hyatt 10, VanWingerden 2.

Halftime: West, 25-22.

GIRLS

NORTH BUNCOMBE (54) — Bridges 4, Pressley 18, MacDowell 6, Ledbetter 6, Westbrook 3, Magee 4, Roberson 7, Fox 2, Bailey 4.

WEST HENDERSON (55) — Thelan, Young 6, Roberts 8, Williams 2, Troutman 14, Thomas 13, Hyatt 10, VanWingerden 2.

Halftime: West, 25-22.

Matthew Makes the Highlight Reel

Click HERE to see highlights from the North Buncombe @ West game last night, the video takes a few minutes to load and it starts with the girl's games so be sure and wait for it! Matthew's three pointer is shown and Stan even says his name! So cool!

Visiting Erwin sweeps West at tourney

With the first day of the second annual West Christmas Doubleheader over and done, both Falcon squads fell to the visiting Warriors of Erwin. The Falcons blasted out the gates and led 23-12 in the first quarter, but a halfcourt trap utilized by Erwin slowed down the tempo and helped them pull off a hard-fought 54-52 win.

“I thought their trap gave us some problems, but to be honest with you I feel like this is one of those nights where we kind of did it to ourselves,” West coach Rob Bliss said. “We played with a lot of energy early, and then we just went flat.”

That energy was on full display in the first quarter as West went on a 19-4 tear. A great halfcourt bounce pass from Daniel Hyatt to a streaking Kevin Thomas (team-high 16 points) signaled the up-tempo game West hoped to maintain. But the Warriors’ halfcourt trap slowly stymied the Falcons and forced them into 21 turnovers for the game.

“We didn’t really play again until the last two minutes of the game,” said Bliss. “We fought and gave ourselves a chance, but you can’t live with just that.”

Down 51-45, West (4-5) came alive in the fourth behind consecutive 3s from Kenan Young (seven points) and Kagan Williams (10 points). With 1:14 left, Warrior guard Jonathan Goforth (14 points) did the same thing he’d done all game: penetrate the lane and hit an acrobatic layup. Kevin Thomas followed suit with a drive and drew a foul, hitting only one free throw.

With 20.7 seconds left Erwin (9-2) bled the clock to within five seconds before Goforth drew a foul. He made the first, missed the second, and Erwin’s Adam King scooped up the offensive rebound, denying West a last chance. King finished the night with a game-high 25.

In exact opposite fashion, the Lady Falcons — with only seven players dressed out — fell behind to Erwin 22-4 in the first quarter. But a stingy zone defense that forced Erwin into 18 turnovers for the game gradually brought West back 34-20 at the half.

“We tried to play a hurry-up offense in the first quarter and that didn’t work,” West coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy said. “So we tried to slow it down and make every possession count.”

That they did. Starting with Ashley Rogers’ offensive rebound and put-back, the Falcons keyed a 13-2 run that pulled the game to within 14 going in at the half. That momentum carried into the beginning of the third quarter with consecutive 3s by Kaitlyn Burton (nine points) and Erica Cantrell (game-high 13 points). Both finished the night with five steals a piece and Burton also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Though West’s perseverance kept the game close, the Lady Warriors (8-3) had answers for every Falcon run. Still, West coach Scott-Gaddy was pleased with what she saw from a depleted squad.

“I commend my team a great deal,” she said. “They came out and played as a team. And I told them at the end of the game that that was the best we’d played as a team all year, I don’t care what the score shows. They played as a team.”

I love this picture

Taken by Morgan Lancaster and on her facebook site .... I stole it 'cause I like it!

West Henderson falls to Asheville

By Jeremy Trantham
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Mike Dirks/Times-News
West Henderson’s Colby Thelan tries to avoid the steal from Asheville’s Zavion Brown.

Senior Adam Troutman’s basket had brought West Henderson’s deficit to two with 2:30 to play on Wednesday at West. Once again Asheville High senior Wakefield Ellison had an answer.

The Cougars’ standout senior canned an open 3-pointer from the corner to help push Asheville to a 64-53 victory. Ellison, who has committed to East Carolina, finished with a game-high 25 points.

“I thought we played hard,” said West coach Rob Bliss. “Asheville’s an awfully athletic team. We just had some breakdowns defensively a couple of times and they made some big shots. Our margin for error isn’t very big when it comes to teams like this so even the smallest mistake can change the outcome of the game and that’s what happened tonight.”

A lot of several small mistakes on the boards added up to cost West. The Cougars (5-4) outrebounded the Falcons (4-4) 41-21.

“That’s been our Achilles heel all year,” Bliss said. Some of it is our stature and some of it is that we’re not in the habit of being physical. Then some of it is we’re playing the big boys on the block.”

Bliss said that in eight games this season, the Falcons have allowed 120 offensive rebounds.

Still, West had its chances despite falling behind 20-9 at the end of the first quarter and then by 10 early in the fourth. The Falcons battled back to take a 26-25 halftime lead but saw it evaporate late in the third. Ellison broke a 40-40 tie with an inside bucket which sparked a 15-5 run.

Sophomore forward Kevin Thomas spearheaded an 8-0 West run capped by Troutman’s putback with 2:30 remaining.

Asheville patiently worked around West’s trapping defense to find Ellison alone in the corner. Cougar guard Zavian Brown hit all six of his free throw attempts in the closing moments as West went cold from the field.

Brown had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists. Maurice Harrison added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Troutman also had a double-double with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds.

“Troutman’s a kid that as a coach you’re so proud of,” Bliss said of the senior who saw limited playing time last season. “He’s certainly our most consistent player both on the offensive end and on the glass.”

Thomas scored six of his 14 points in the fourth quarter while Kagan Williams added nine points on three 3’s for the Falcons.

For one half, the Lady Falcons hung right with the Lady Cougars. But West’s 32-26 halftime deficit unraveled in a hurry as Asheville pulled away for a 78-54 win.

“In the first half we had our feet under us and in the second they went on a run right there and we just couldn’t seem to catch up,” said Lady Falcon coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy. “As far as the defense our intensity level wasn’t quite where it needed to be.”

Desiree Gamble led the charge with 27 of her game-high 31 points in the second half.

Summer Kremer had 10 points for the Lady Falcons. Kaitlyn Burton added nine points and eight rebounds, Sieara Bishop added nine points and five assists while Chelsea Turlington had seven points and four steals.

The Lady Falcons fall to 2-6 on the year.

“I think (this game) will help us know what we need to practice and work on,” Scott-Gaddy said.

West will return to action on Dec. 29 a home to start a two-day tournament.

SUMMARIES

BOYS

ASHEVILLE (64) — Ireland 2, Whitmire 4, Darity 2, Head, Smith 2, Ray 7, Wakefield Ellison 25, Zavion Brown 12, Maurice Harrison 10, Harvin.

WEST (53) — Thelen 1, Young 2, Roberts 4, Williams 9, Adam Troutman 15, Kevin Thomas 14, Hyatt 8, VanWingerden.

Halftime: West, 26-25.

GIRLS

ASHEVILLE (78) — Cortney Rogers 18, Desiree Gamble 31, Scanzoni 1, Lane 7, Merissa Brewton 11, Ma. Brewton 8, Watty, Surratt, Lance 2, Smith.

WEST (54) — Summer Kremer 10, Cantrell 8, Burton 9, Turlington 7, Bishop 9, Stewart 1, Ciaramitaro, Rogers 4, Dinardo 6.

An Incorrect Box Score by the Charlotte Observer

Matthew told me they lost the game at RS Central by 9 points and that he scored 11. This is the box score from the Charlotte Observer. The only thing that matches up is that they show Matthew scoring 11 points.

Anyway, pretty sure they lost. I will look for a more accurate box score, but thought it would be cool to post this:

W. HENDERSON 71, R.S. CENTRAL 61

R.S.	16	10	18	17	0	61
W. Hend.	18	16	17	20	0	71

W. Henderson 71 – Thomas 17, Hyatt 11, Roberts 11, Troutman 10, Williams 3

R. S. Central 61 – Lynch 13, Foster 13, Fuller 8, Holmstrom 8, Kinlaw 8, Kinshaw 8

Matter gets Elfed

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

West Henderson flies past Enka 91-71

By Dean Hensley

Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 11:17 a.m.

West Henderson boys basketball coach Rob Bliss said his speedy Falcons are at their best when they are in transition.

On Friday night against visiting Enka, it seemed like West stayed in transition — highlighted by a two-handed slam by Adam Troutman in the closing minutes — as the Falcons pulled away to an easy 91-71 victory.

“We knew it was going to be a physical game. They are big, so we were hoping to counteract their size with our speed and transition game,” Bliss said.

It worked.

By the end of the first period, the Falcons (4-2) had built a commanding 27-12 lead after an offensive rebound and put back by Troutman, followed by a quick steal and layup by Kagan Williams.

The Jets (3-3) had a brief comeback in the second period, thanks to an offensive spurt by 6-foot, 8-inch junior Corey Hensley. He scored 11 of his game-high 24 points in the first three minutes of the second period. His old-fashioned three-point play at the 4:15 mark cut the Falcon lead to five at 29-24.

But West countered with a quick 10-1 run and never looked back.

Young led the Falcons with 23 points, and Troutman was close behind with 19. Williams and Kevin Thomas each added 16.

Hensley led the way for Enka, and Alex Gaddy was the only other Jet in double digits with 16.

The opening girls’ contest was a little closer, but it was the same result — a West home win. The Lady Falcons and Lady Sugar Jets were close for three periods, but the Lady Falcons, led by Summer Kremer, pulled away to earn a 42-30 victory.

“It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it,” West girls coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy said. “It was real physical, but we felt like we handled their man defense pretty well.”

Kremer added nine rebounds to her game-high 16 points. She was the only player for both teams that reached double figures.

In jayvee action, the West girls and Enka boys won.

West’s boys and girls return to the court Tuesday when they travel to R-S Central.

Summaries

BOYS

ENKA (71) — C. King 3, Gaddy 16, C. King 6, Hensley 24, Sawyer 9, McCarson 6, Waddell, Mashburn.

WEST HENDERSON (91) — Thelen 4, Young 23, Williams 16, Keeves 2, Troutman 19, Thomas 16, Hyatt 9, VanWingerden, Roberts, Shaw.

Halftime: West, 44-29.

GIRLS

ENKA (30) — Smart 7, McCurry 8, Norton 1, Bridges 6, Burleson 7, Bosma 1, Crowe, Hyatt.

WEST HENDERSON (42) — Kremer 16, Cantrell 4, Burton 3, Turlington 7, Bishop 4, Stewart 8, Rogers, Dinardo.

Halftime: West, 18-16.

West Henderson Boys, Girls Defeat HHS

West Henderson boys, girls defeat HHS

By David Phillips
Times-News Correspondent


Published: Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.

Ater a slow start, the West Henderson Falcons defeated Hendersonville on the hardcourt Tuesday 83-69 at West.

The Hendersonville girls fell to the Lady Falcons 47-32.

The Falcons got double-figure scoring from Kenan Young with 19, Adam Troutman with 17 and Kevin

Thomas, who led all scorers with 20.

“Kenan Young has only been in our program for a month,” said West coach Ron Bliss. “We’re pleased with his progress. He has really been a help to us in the early season.”

Coach Robert Strong’s Bearcats opened the first period like they would make a rout of the contest. After the first 3:15, the visiting Hendersonville team was up 9-2.

After the first quarter, the Bearcats held a 20-10 advantage.

West began solving the Hendersonville press in the second quarter, creating layups for the big three Falcon scoring leaders. At the half, West was up by seven at 37-30.

In the third period, West continued to beat the Bearcat press down the court and led 65-58 at the end of three quarters.

Four Hendersonville starters have only had two practices since the end of the football season which ended last Friday. Their inexperience began to show in the final stanza.

West opened the final quarter with a 65-58 lead, and was able to maintain their advantage thanks to some timely free throw shooting down the stretch. Thomas converted four straigt charity tosses in the last minute of play.

Hendersonville’s Tori Sitton and Darren Perry had 11 points each, and Desmond Whiteside had 10 to lead the Bearcat offense. All three are fresh off a state 1-A semifinal run in football.

West improves to 3-2 on the young season with a date against a strong Enka squad on Friday on their home court.

“Enka is big up front and will present quite a challenge for us,” said Coach Bliss.

For the Lady Falcons, Erica Cantrell led the scoring with 16 points and Summer Kremer had 12. Cantrell also had 10 rebounds for the game, recording a double-double.

For the Lady Bearcats, Brookes Walz was the scoring leader with a dozen points.

The win was the first of the season for the Lady Falcons, against four losses.

“We’re beginning to come together as a team,” said Falcon coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy. “It was good to come out and get a win.

“I think we could have been more intense,” Scott-Gaddy continued. “Hopefully this win will inspire our girls for the future.”

West held a 10-6 lead until the final seconds of the first quarter, until Walz nailed a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one.

West outscored Hendersonville 13-6 in the second quarter for a 23-15 halftime lead.

In the third quarter the Bearcat press gave West some trouble initially. However, by the end of the period, West clung to a 10-point advantage at 33-23.

Hendersonville only scored nine points in the fourth quarter, while West added 14 to its total.

“We have only been able to get in three games so far this season because to the extended football season,” said Hendersonville coach Mike Norman. “I saw some improvement out there tonight.”

The Lady Bearcats host Madison on Friday. They go into the contest with a 2-1 record.

Summaries

BOYS

HENDERSONVLLE (69) — Rogers 4, Young 9, Kirkland 3, C. Rogers 8, Tori Sitton 11, Darren Perry 11, Desmond Whitesde 10, Cauley 9.

WEST HENDERSON (83) — Theren 9, Keenan Young 19, Roberts 6, Willaims 6, Reeves 2, Adam Troutman 17, Kevin Thomas 20, Hyatt 3, VanWingerden 1.

GIRLS

HENDERSONVILLE (32) — Stoney 5, Lilly 4, Ward 1, Brookes Walz 12, westmorland 7, Hubert 2, Reames 1.

WEST HENDERSON (47 ) — SummerKremer 12, Erica Cantrell 16, Bishop 2, Stewart 7 Rogers 8, Dinardo 2.

R-S Central steals two wins from West

R-S Central steals two wins from West

By Jeremy Trantham
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Michael Justus/Times-News
R-S Central’s Shaquille Wilkins tries to stuff West Henderson’s Adam Troutman on Tuesday during a game at West.

Heartbreak came to West Henderson’s gymnasium on Tuesday night as R-S Central’s girls and boys teams came away with a pair of last-second wins.

Quatez Fuller got a steal in the backcourt on an inbounds play with 4.9 seconds remaining in the boys game and hit a layup for a 65-53 win while Melissa McLaughlin drove down the middle and rolled in a runner with 15.4 seconds remaining to give the Lady Hilltoppers a 45-44 victory.

Fuller’s steal and basket capped a tight nightcap which saw Central battle back from a five-point fourth-quarter deficit.

“I take the blame for that,” said West coach Rob Bliss of the final play. “I put us in a bad position and should not have done that. I didn’t make a good decision with how we wanted to get the ball up the floor.”

“Quatez came up big in the fourth,” said Central coach Greg Wright. “During the timeout we talked about him staying back to stop the long pass and then coming up if his man got the ball.”

Fuller scored 10 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth.

West’s Colby Thelen hit a pair of free throws with 26.7 second remaining to tie the score at 63-63 and when Central threw the ball away with 4.9 seconds left, it looked as though the Falcons would at least take the game into overtime.

But Fuller converted on West’s sixth fourth-quarter turnover to drop the Falcons to 2-2 on the season.

Matt Roberts hit three of West’s seven 3-pointers to finish with a team-high 15 points while senior Adam Troutman added 13. Kevin Thomas had 10.

West built an 18-10 lead at the end of the first quarter but Central opened the second with a 12-0 run.

“We didn’t take great care of the basketball and for whatever reason we continue to refuse to run offense,” Bliss said. When we ran offense we got good things. When we decided to play playground basketball we played right into their hands.”

Roberts tied the score at 29 entering halftime with a late 3 and the Falcons came out blazing in the third quarter to build a 37-31 advantage.

Central battled back behind Fuller. The final five minutes saw three ties and three lead changes.

It was the second straight loss for a young Falcon team which has just one returning starter in senior Daniel Hyatt, who had eight points.

“We’re still trying to figure out what we do best and how we do it,” Bliss said.

He said he hoped to have things figured out by Christmas.

The Lady Falcons provided a fitting prelude.

West held a 42-32 lead with around five minutes to play before Central staged a furious comeback behind an intense pressure defense.

West faltered down the stretch with a slew of turnovers and no field goals in the final five minutes.

McLaughlin got the closing 13-2 run started with a free throw. A Lady Falcon free throw with 2:48 to play stretched the lead back to 10.

After Mclaughlin hit a pair of foul shots with 1:32 to play the Lady Hilltoppers trailed 44-40. Then Mercedes Davis canned a 3 to give her eight points on the night.

With time winding down, Central cleared out for McLaughlin, who drove down the lane for the game-winner, her only field goal of the game.

After another near-turnover near midcourt, West inbounded the ball with 3.2 seconds remaining but the final desperation heave fell short.

Erica Cantrell scored six of her game-high 12 points in the first quarter to help West build the lead. Kaitlin Burton and Chelsea Turlington each scored seven points for West, which falls to 0-4.

Shannon Hines scored a team-high 11 points for Central, which had four players score at least eight points.

West returns to action on tonight against rival Hendersonville in a rescheduled game.

Summaries

BOYS

CENTRAL (65) — Miller, Lynch, K. Holmstrom 10, Lynch 3, Foster 9, Littlejohn 2, Wilkins 6, Q. Fuller 22, Carson, Kinlaw, J. Fuller, C. Murray 10.

WEST (63) — Embler, Thelen 8, Young 6, Roberts 15, Williams 3, Shaw, Reeves, Troutman 13, Thomas 10, Hyatt 8.

Halftime: Tied 29-29.

GIRLS

CENTRAL (45) — Whitesides 2, Hines 11, McLaughlin 8, Logan, McDaniel, Edgerton 8, Davis 8, Miller, Crenshaw 3, Case 3, Twitty.

WEST (44) — Kremer 5, Cantrell 12, Burton 7, Turlington 7, Bishop 4, Stewart, Ciarimiataro 2, Rogers 5, Dinardo 5, Meyer 2.

Halftime: West, 22-16.

Box Score from West vs TC Roberson

BASKETBALL

BOYS

T.C. Roberson 56

West Henderson 37

WESTHENDERSON (37) — Thomas 13, Young 9, Roberts 6, Troutman 6, Hyatt 3.

tT.C. ROBERSON (56) — Patton (16), Fields (14), Carpenter (13), Darity (4), Moody (4), Winkenwerder (3), Pressley (2)

More Pictures from West vs. TC Roberson

West vs TC Roberson

West lost the game 56-37. Matthew scored the first points for West with a 3 point shot from the corner with only 2.8 seconds left in the first quarter. He went on to score 3 more points, finishing the game with 6 points. The Rams had 3 players in double figures, we only had one, Kevin Thomas, who had 13.

West struggled with offensive rebounds, getting zero putbacks. It was kind of sad, but TC is a really great team - fast and big!

The photo pictured is of Matt (5) attempting a shot.

West Henderson keeps Tuscola boys winless

Dennis Smathers - Tuscola Beat Writer

The Tuscola varsity boys basketball team scored 33 first half points Wednesday night against visiting West Henderson. But the Mountaineers lost their shooting touch in the second half, scoring only 19 points as the Falcons beat Tuscola, 69-52, in a non-conference game. Tuscola dropped to 0-4 overall and will play at Pisgah (8 p.m.) tonight. The Mountaineers will look to snap a 14-game losing streak to the Black Bears. The last time the Tuscola boys beat Pisgah in basketball was Feb. 2001 in the conference tournament. Against the Falcons, Tuscola held a 17-15 lead after the first eight minutes, lead by sophomore Jonathan Hopper’s six points. But the Mountaineers lost the lead in the second quarter and went into halftime trailing, 35-33. The Falcons nearly doubled Tuscola’s offensive output in the third quarter to extend their lead to nine points, 50-41, entering the final quarter. West Henderson (2-0) scored nine of its 19 fourth quarter points from the free throw line to ice the game. For the first time this season, no player scored in double figures for the Mountaineers. Hopper posted a team-high eight points while junior Alex Smith finished with seven points. Juniors Walton Shepherd and Will Valentine chipped in six points apiece while seniors Sidney Blankenship and Tyler Green scored five points apiece. Senior Aaron Fernandez, junior Billy Lirely and senior Paul Allen finished with four points each.

Boys Prep Basketball 2008-09 by Dean Hensley

WEST HENDERSON

Mascot: Falcons.

Coach: Rob Bliss, third year.

Conference: Western Athletic 2-A.

2007-08 record: 14-14 overall, 6-4 WAC (third).

Postseason play: Lost 60-50 to Newton-Conover in the first round.

Returning starters: Daniel Hyatt, 6-3 senior guard/center.

Other returning players: Kevin Thomas, 6-3 sophomore guard/forward; Matt Roberts, 5-11 junior guard; Adam Troutman, 6-3 senior forward; Colby Thelen, 5-9 junior guard.

Newcomers: Kagan Williams, 5-10 junior guard; Karl Bernadas, 5-5 sophomore guard; Corey Shaw, 5-11 junior guard; Taylor Reeves, 6-2 junior forward; Kyle Earwood, 6-5 sophomore forward; Matt VanWingerden, 6-1 junior forward.

Outlook: West Henderson lost leading scorer and point guard Zach Corliss, who is now a freshman guard at Armstrong Atlantic State in Savannah, Ga., with good friend Chris VanLandingham, a former North Henderson standout, to graduation.

Corliss reached the 1,000-point plateau his senior year, and now Falcon coach Rob Bliss will be looking for someone to help fill those big shoes. After the early practices, he knows he has plenty of players who can shoot the ball.

“The key word for us right now is youth. We do shoot the ball well at times, and I’d have to say that’s our strength. Dan shoots it well, and Kagan shoots it well. Kevin Thomas is also a pretty good perimeter shooter, so we have some shooters.

“We just don’t have the experience,” Bliss said.

Led by Corliss, the Falcons finished in third spot in the WAC last season and ended up falling to Newton-Conover in the first round of the state playoffs.

Bliss believes this group could be in the mix as well in the conference.

“Your goal every year is to win the conference championship, but when you have a young team like this, you have to be realistic. I believe Smoky Mountain has all the pieces to not only win the conference but make a state title run. We’re hoping to be in the top half of the conference,” Bliss said.