7th and 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Starts Strong

Kelsey Brunkhorst

In the first week of November, junior high boys basketball Coach, Randie Roepke, and Assistant Coach, Chris Holt, held tryouts for his 7th and 8th grade teams. Prior to tryouts, the boys had a chance to compete in a Shootout over the summer here at Fair Grove to prepare for the upcoming season. Coach Roepke states, “The 8th grade class will look to Tanner Lumley and Eddie Bowser to help lead the team this year. Hopefully the 7th grade class gets good contributions from Kade Gallion, Devin Carroll, Logan Daniels, and Ryan Berry.” The seventh grade team is currently 7-2, while the eigth grade team is 4-5.
The 7th grade boys’ team consists of 10 players and the 8th grade team consists of 11. Returning player, Tanner Lumley (8), states, “I’m hoping our team improves more than last season.” For the players on the 7th grade team, this is their first time playing on a basketball team organized by the school. Carroll noted, “Junior High Basketball is more organized and it’s been difficult to adjust to waking up for morning practices. I’ve learned that you have to try hard all the time in practices and respect your coaches and the other players.” Junior High sports is a big adjustment for kids who have previously played sports because practices are often longer and more difficult. “I enjoy working with these kids because they are hardworking and for the most part very coachable,” Coach Roepke notes, “I want to set a good foundation of what Coach Brown does at the High School to better prepare the kids to compete at the next level.”
Lumley mentioned that he believed the team was ready for the upcoming season and they had been putting a lot of work into their practices. However, Roepke thought differently, stating “We weren’t there yet. Luckily we had a couple of weeks before our first game.” The junior high boys’ basketball team will have their next game on Monday, January 30th, against the Buffalo Bison at Buffalo at 5:30 PM.