By John Raffel
Correspondent
GOBLES — Gobles varsity boys basketball John Curtis will be seeking plenty of improvement for this season.
Curtis previously coached the Goble girls varsity for 18 years and have a 304-107 career record.
Gobles competes in the SAC Valley Conference.
“Last year the team finished with a 4-19 record and it was a pretty rough season as far as record goes,” Curtis said. “This years team does bring back some experience that should help the program to take a step in the right direction.”
Tristan Harbaugh is a 6-2 senior forward. “He was last years leading scorer who brings some toughness to the floor. He’s recovering from an ankle injury suffered during the football season and will work back into form in due time,” Curtis said.
Tony Lisowski is a 5-7 senior guard
“Tony was a leader on last year’s team and will continue that role as he moves off the ball into more of a scoring option this year,” Curtis said.
Jack Geiger is a 6-foot-5 power forward.
“Jack has the ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor. If he can be consistent on a nightly basis we can be more competitive then they were last year,” Curtis said. “The sophomore trio of Aden Newberry (6-5 wing) Jayden Otis (6-4 forward) and Aiden Beam (5-10 point guard) will all need to play huge roles this year. All three will be counted on for big minutes and production.
“My expectations is that we start changing the narrative about Gobles basketball. We need to create an identity and work on becoming more than a W on everyone’s schedule. I really think that this team can have a winning season if we stay healthy, play as a team, and learn to grind for four quarters.”
Curtis likes his team’s height.
“We have thee kids that are 6-foot-4 or taller, plus Harbaugh who plays bigger then his height,” Curtis said. “I think rebounding the ball on both ends could be something that allows us to win the possession battle. They simply need to learn how to win. During the summer they didn’t seem to know how to close out games. Clock management and valuing the basketball is something that needs to improve for this team to win a few of the close games.”
As for the competition, “I feel like Saugatuck is going to be really tough this year. I think we can be a team that can move up from the cellar, how far up I’m not quite sure. New coach, new system, new mentality, that’s a lot of change and time will tell.”