Boys basketball looking to season with goals and purpose
Pine City boys basketball is preparing to take on another year with some goals and ultimate purpose.
Head coach, Kyle Allen, said that the expectation for the season is to continue to grow the program, both in their purpose and their goal. “Our purpose is education, to create great young men, and our goal is to win games,” said Allen.
Allen expressed that he hopes they can continue to have success at the varsity level while fostering the growth and continuity of the program at the sub-varsity level. “Our goals at the varsity level include: 20 plus wins, swimming the conference, earning a home playoff game,and making a run in the playoffs.” Allen said.
“Every season presents challenges,” Allen noted. “Coming off of the abbreviated and ‘different’ season we had last year, getting back to all of the extras we do is important to us.”
Last year, the team faced challenges with COVID-19, causing the numbers for the team to be lower than previous years, which they chalked up to COVID and the challenges that families and the community faced in that time, according to Allen.
The team has an established program and system and has received some recognition for that over the years. According to Allen, the fun part is now making small tweaks to the system to help it be as productive as it can for the group that they now have.
“These guys have grown up in our system, and it is fun to watch them execute at such a high level, which is what we are asking them to do,” Allen noted. “When it is all clicking, it really is special.”
Last year, the varsity team saw scores of 13 to 6 in the abbreviated year. They were able to win their fourth conference championship in a row. “We are hoping to be able to build off of the growth and struggles from last year and hit the ground running as this season approaches,” Allen said.
When it comes to the team’s six seniors, Allen had some positive words, “Kameron Jusczak has been with me a long time. He knows me and my system inside and out. It has been one of the positives we have done over the years, to be able to have a player/coach on the floor.”
He said Dylan Petersen is what every coach wants. “He works hard, never complains, does what he is told, and does everything the right way.”
Cole Waxberg, said Allen, is an impressive scorer at the high school level. “He has some of the most amazing athleticism we have seen in Pine City basketball over the last decade,” said Allen.
Jason Theiman, he noted, is as “quick of a kid” he has coached in Pine City. He is tough and not afraid to really get after it, he added.
He said that Colton Blaisdell is the “smartest kid in the school,” is a great leader and has grown leaps and bounds in his time with the team.
“Micah Overtoom has carved out a niche for himself in a talent group,” said Allen. “He is our strongest player and can mix it up and down low with anyone.”
Some of the other players on the team have garnered some expectations this year from Allen. “Luke Wilson is going to continue to grow into his role as a creator for this team. Mason Charles is very athletic and will look to carve out a role for himself in a senior dominated group. Lamont Syndey has some special skills and unique abilities. He will have a chance to add some size, athleticism and strength to this group,” he said. “Charlie Ausmus got his feet wet last year on varsity as an eighth grader, and I expect him to take a step this year.”
Allen is accompanied by Dylan Kringstad, Wayne Hansmann, Monty Petersen, Ben Bloomquist, and Jason Wiener as assistant coaches.
“We are really proud of everything we have built over the last decade. The coaches, players, families, managers, school, and community have allowed us to grow and learn. We will continue to get better and more efficient as the years go on,” said Allen. “These boys have dedicated themselves to something bigger than themselves and the results speak for themselves.”
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