By DAVID WOOD, for The Democrat
The boys varsity basketball team seemed poised to snag a season-opening victory for its first-year head coach.
They Eagles were holding Hauser to a four-point game in their first two quarters Nov. 20.
However, Hauser ended the first half with a last-minute, 6-0 run, solidifying a two-digit deficit that would only extend by the game’s end.
“I don’t handle losing well, but I can handle it for kids who are just busting tail,” said Head Coach John Berning.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]“They didn’t do anything to make me not proud tonight. Hauser’s just a solid program.”
Despite the score of 48-69, he believes his squad displayed the necessary effort and grit to create opportunities down the line.
“It was tough tonight, to be frank with you. … That’s a tough way to start the year, but I thought we did some good things and we’ve got the effort and the toughness. You need that to start,” he said.
“If you don’t have that, and you’re in a program that hasn’t been very successful, then you’re never going to build anything.”
Berning specifically cited a series of mismanaged turnovers, failed rebounds, and needless penalties as causes for the runaway loss. He also mentioned the team’s endurance and current level of fitness.
“They certainly didn’t give up, but gassed is absolutely the case. I had some guys physically about dead. We’re not in the shape we need to be in. … We made a lot of mental mistakes and I think a lot of that comes from physically being gassed,” he said.
Berning hopes to address these issues as a part of his long-term plan, which also involves instilling the core values of attitude, dedication and reliability (ADR) into Brown County basketball culture.
“We harp on their attitudes every day — how they are going to treat each other and how they’re treating their coaches. The DR, dedication and reliability, we’re still working at it. But again, that’s a part of that culture we’re wanting to establish to turn things around here over time,” he said.
Regardless of the bigger picture and multi-year plans, he simply aims to have the team improve throughout the course of the season.
“We have to be better in February than we are right now. We have to be better in January than we’re going to be in December. It’s that cliché,” he said.
“The future can be bright here. It can be. It’s not a guarantee; it’s an opportunity.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Meet the Eagles” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Seniors: Devon Smith-Harden
Juniors: Aaron McCann, Peyton Proctor, Jordan Watson, Caleb Yager
Sophomores: Travis Ely, Dalton Hedrick (JV), Ricky Stanley, AJ Weiss (JV)
Freshmen: Carter Kelly, Josh Miller (JV), Seth Oliphant (JV), Waylon Patrick (JV), Eli Sichting, Ethan Voland (JV), Kody Walsh
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