ELYRIA CHRISTIAN BOYS’ BASKETBALL

ROMERO TO LEAD EAGLES ON COURT FOR 2024/25

By Staff

            ELYRIA – The Elyria Christian boys basketball team had an impressive season a year ago, finishing 21-2, with a strong five-man senior class that has graduated.

            The plus for the upcoming 2024/25 season is that head coach Zach Goodrich still has five strong juniors, now seniors, to build the team around.

            Coach Goodrich took the team to a Wheat State League championship before finishing second in the sub-state playoffs.

            “We had a great season,” noted coach Goodrich. “But it did not end the way we were hoping. This group fell short of their ultimate goal and that was getting back to the state tournament.”

            Losing seniors such as James Schott, Johnny Unruh, Alex Robertson, Axton Fields, and Blake Robertson, could be tough most seasons, but this winter they return five players with a bunch of playing experience in Ty Romero, Andrew Huxman, Landon Schneider, Gavin Robertson, and  Karter Noggle.

            “This group of juniors  now seniors, had a lot of growth throughout last season,” explained coach Goodrich. “They developed an understanding of moving the ball offensively and found a commitment to team defense. Last season’s shortcomings have set us up to be more intentional with growth this upcoming season.”

            Ty Romero, a six-foot-five guard,  will lead the Eagles in 2024/25 after averaging 22.6 points, and 4.0 steals per game a year ago to go along with first team All-Wheat State League, and Class 1A Division II first-team all-state teams. According to the coaches, Romero  has developed into a solid leader and will be expected to be one of the  most intentional  players on the court in every game.

            Andrew Huxman, a six-foot-two strong forward, averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while gaining honorable mention all-league, and Landon Schneider, a six-foot-two forward, put up 4.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game as well.

            Coach Goodrich noted, “Andrew (Huxman) and Landon (Schneider) have been steady contributors the last three seasons and will be expected to continue with the same while expanding their roles both offensively and defensively.”

            Both Gavin Robertson, a six-foot-four senior, and Karter Noggle, a six-foot-two senior, also  return with game day experience. The coaches noted that both Robertson and Noggle’s contributions will play a significant role in the improvement this season of the team and how quickly the team figures out how great they can be.

            Two newcomers noted by coach Goodrich as one’s to watch will be junior guard Emmitt Neufeldt and sophomore forward Nathan Romero.

            Coach Goodrich is entering his tenth season as the leader of the Eagles where he has a current record overall of 134-50. Tim Willis and Caleb Froese will be helping him on the bench this season.

            When asked about any weakness of the team for the upcoming season, coach Goodrich pointed out, “We will have to develop a deeper bench while getting the younger players on the same page early with our defensive concepts. This season we are going to be intentional about every practice, every game, and every opportunity to improve. We have a talented group, and they have a goal for this season.”

            Talking about the strengths of the team, he added, “Familiarity and trust. This group has a strong connection to serve each other and are very intentional on how they approach challenges. Some of these kids have been together for four years and have developed a deeper understanding of each other’s abilities and individual strengths. We have come up short the past couple of seasons, so they have a lot to play for.”

            In conclusion of his pre-season reflections, coach Goodrich said, “this season will be about us being intentional with each opportunity to improve while taking advantage of a challenging non-league schedule.”

            The Eagles will open the 2024/25 season on Friday, December 6 hosting Moundridge, the Class 2A defending state champions. Other games before the Christmas break will be three battles in the Goessel Bluebird Classic, plus home games with Remington and Solomon.

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at macks.people.places@gmail.com)