Wildcats Aim To Be Competitive In Shenandoah District
Taking the court with mostly new faces, the Rockbridge County High School boys basketball team looks to improve and compete in a new district this season.
The Wildcats graduated eight seniors from last year’s team, which went 1-22 overall and 0-14 in the Valley District. RC’s lone win was a 49-44 nondistrict victory over Franklin County at the Titan Basketball Invitational last December. The Wildcats hope to compete well in the Shenandoah District, which they joined this year after seven years in the Valley District.
Leading last year’s senior class was guard Noah Hamm, a talented shooter and ball handler who was named to the alldistrict second team. Hamm is now playing basketball for Southwest Virginia Community College in Tazewell County. The Wildcats also graduated a strong outside shooter in forward Sam Ballstaedt, as well as forward Zane Ramsey, a vocal and energetic leader whose senior season ended in RC’s third game when he fractured his leg in a mid-December game against Waynesboro.
This year, the Wildcats have four seniors, eight juniors and one sophomore.
RC has five returning players. The one who saw the most playing time last year is Bradi Ziegler, a 5-foot-10-inch junior guard. Ziegler, who started playing for the varsity team as a freshman after beginning that year on the junior varsity team. is a talented 3-point shooter who has been developing other aspects of his game. Praising Ziegler, fifth-year RC head coach Rob Winfield said, “He’s worked hard this summer to diversify his game to try to be a little bit more than a catchand- shoot guy, but that’s still his bread and butter.”
Also returning is junior guard Brayden Camden (5-10), a solid shooter, rebounder and defender who was a consistent contributor last winter. Junior guard Christian Moore (6-0) provided valuable minutes off the bench last winter. He was a shooting guard last year, but he’ll be switching to point guard. “He’s learning on the fly, but we’re excited for him,” said Winfield.
The Wildcats return two senior forwards, Jaxon Johnson (6-2) and Avery McDaniel (6-0) who came off the bench last year, but Winfield expects them to play bigger roles. “They have really worked hard this summer to put them in position where they’re gonna play,” said Winfield. “They’re gonna be a big part of everything that we do. I’m excited for them.”
RC has added two 6-3 senior forwards, Price Lunsford and Xavier Flowers, who were offensive linemen for the football team and are playing varsity basketball for the first time. “One of the few teams I really remember playing in high school had two offensive lineman that played Division I football, and they were so good inside, so we’ll see,” said Winfield. “We’re gonna give the kids a chance. They’ve got a lot to learn, as far as basketball, but they’re good kids. They want to work hard, and they want to get better, and we could use some help inside.”
Juniors who are new to the varsity team are guards Johnathan Soriano Caceres (5-7), Maliq Corbin (6-0) and Leando Serrada (5-9), forward Brenden Staley (6-4) and Jakob Bailey (6-1), a forward and center who played for the JV team last year. Corbin transferred from Maryland and was a wide receiver and defensive back for the football team this year.
The Wildcats’ youngest player is sophomore forward Fisher Newhall (6-1), who played well for the JV team last year, and Winfield sees him contributing valuable minutes. “He’ll be a big part of it,” said Winfield.
The RC coach said he’s confident the Wildcats will play hard this year. “I want us to focus on just competing,” he said. “I want us every day to focus on, whether it’s practice, whether it’s in the classroom, whatever it is, we’re just constantly competing, and I think that will lead to opportunities on the basketball court.”
Returning as an assistant coach for the Wildcats is Gary Randall, while Dylan Thompson, who is new to the school district, joins the staff. Scott Rogers, who was an assistant coach at the end of last winter, is the head JV coach.
In the Shenandoah District, the Wildcats will have shorter trips than in the Valley District. Winfield said that, while the Valley District was tough last year, the new district “will be exciting. It’ll be a challenge. It’ll be different.” The RC coach expects the toughest teams to be Wilson Memorial, Stuarts Draft, Staunton and Fort Defiance.
The Wildcats will open the season at Staunton River next Thursday, Dec. 4. Their first home game will be the following Monday, Dec. 8, against Eastern Montgomery. Both nights will start with JV action at 5:30 p.m., with varsity scheduled to follow at 7. They Wildcats start district action at Staunton on Tuesday, Dec. 9, beginning with the JV game at 6 p.m., with the varsity game scheduled to follow at 7:30.
