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Basketball: Scott City to turn to Kuntzsch for leadership
Published 12/4/2008 in Special Sections : Area High Schools
By BRETT MARSHALL
Scott City's boys basketball team went through the 2007-2008 season with a 13-9 overall record, 5-3 in the tough Mid State Activities Association.
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Laurie Sisk/Telegram — Scott City High School's Levi Kuntzsch (31) goes up for a shot around Thomas Moore Prep's Keith Gustin (25) last season at SCHS.
This year, coach Glenn O'Neil looks for improvement in each of those records as he takes a mixture of experience and talent into this season.
His veteran leadership will come from 6-4 senior forward Levi Kuntzsch, one of the area's top all-around athletes.
Kuntzsch was a first team All-MSAA selection and was recently named to the Garden City Telegram's All-Area Top 11 football team at wide receiver/running back/linebacker.
"Levi will be one of our strong inside players for us this year," O'Neil said. "We'll have some overall balance to this year's team, but we need to find a proven scorer."
Kuntzsch averaged 10 points and 6.5 rebounds in his junior season. The other returning starter for the Beavers is 6-0 junior Alex Swan. Another good all-around athlete, Swan averaged six points and three assists a game while earning second team All-MSAA honors. O'Neil is hoping that the pre-Christmas 2007 Swan returns as he was averaging 12 points a game before dropping off in the final part of the season.
In addition to those two, O'Neil will be relying on part-time starter Jordan Funk, a 6-3 junior forward, who averaged four points and three rebounds in his sophomore season. Ron Baker (5-10 soph.) averaged 4.3 points as a freshman while swingman Pedro Medellin, a 6-2 senior, averaged 2.2 points last year.
"We will need to play a mid-pace game in the early part of the season," said O'Neil. "We hope we can play quicker as the season progresses."
Lady Beavers hope experience will pay off
If experience means anything in sports, then Scott City girls basketball coach Jim Turner should be feeling on the optimistic side as his team prepares to launch the 2008-2009 season.
Turner, who guided the team to a 12-10 overall mark and 5-3 in the Mid-State Activities Association, returns a bevy of players who saw considerable action a year ago.
In fact, no fewer than eight different players saw starting duty for the Lady Beavers.
"We have very little height, so we will have to make up for it with defense and toughness," said Turner, who has a career win-loss mark of 184-139.
His leading returner is 5-7 senior guard Shelby Kite, who averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and three steals a game during her junior season while shooting 46 percent from the field. Kite, demonstrating her all-around sports prowess, was a recent first-team Garden City Telegram All-Area volleyball selection.
The only other senior who returns is 5-8 senior guard/forward Amber Kuckelman.
The rest of the returners are all juniors and will provide the remainder of Turner's starters and top subs for this year. That group includes 5-7 guard Jade Glunz, who averaged 8.3 points while shooting 44 percent from the field; 5-7 forward Justine Woofter, who scored at a 6.9 clip and averaged 7.9 rebounds; 5-8 guard Amanda Shearmire, who shared the team lead in steals average with Kite at three.
Allie O'Neil, a 5-10 junior guard, was one of the long-range sharpshooters for Turner by hitting 30 percent last season. Ashlyn Robinson, a 5-4 guard, is the other junior who was a part-time starter.
Turner will also have a pair of top sophomore prospects in 5-8 guard Emily Hess and 5-9 forward Carissa Chelemedos.
"We've been preaching defense and toughness since the day the season ended last year, so we'll see how that carries over to when we start," Turner said.
Scott City Beavers
League: Mid State Activities Association
Class: 4A
Boys Coach: Glenn O'Neil (13th season, 23rd overall)
2007-2008 Record: 13-9 (5-3 in MSAA, tie 2nd)
Returning Starters: Levi Kuntzsch (6-4 Sr., F), Alex Swan (6-0 Jr., G).
Other Top Returners: Jordan Funk (6-3 Jr., F), Ron Baker (5-10 So., G), Pedro Medellin (6-2 Sr., F).
Key Newcomers: Mason Turner (6-1 So., G), Austin Davis (Jr.), Tad Gertschitz (5-10 Sr., G).
Lady Beavers
Girls Coach: Jim Turner (9th year, 184-139 career)
2007-2008 Record: 12-10 (5-3 MSAA)
Returning Starters: Shelby Kite (5-7 Sr., G), Amber Kuckelman (5-8 Sr., G/F), Justine Woofter (5-7, Jr., F), Jade Glunz (5-7 Jr., G), Amanda Shearmire (5-8 Jr., G), Allie O'neil (5-10 Jr., G), Gayle Minnix (5-10 Jr., F), Ashlyn Robinson (5-4 Jr., G).
Other Returners/Prospects: Emily Hess (5-8 So., G), Carissa Chelemedos (5-9 So., F).
SCHEDULE (Home Games are in ALL CAPS):
Dec. 11-13-SCOTT CITY INVITATIONAL (boys, girls); Dec. 22-at Goodland; Jan. 6-ULYSSES; Jan. 9-PRATT; Jan. 13-at Wichita County; Jan. 16-at TMP; Jan. 22-24-At Colby Orange & Black Classic (boys, girls); Jan. 27-at Holcomb; Jan. 30-at Lakin; Feb. 3-LARNED; Feb. 20-at Ulysses; Feb. 13-at Pratt; Feb. 17-CIMARRON; Feb. 20-TMP; Feb. 24-ATWOOD; Feb. 27-at Larned.
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