The Garden City Telegram

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Top 5 Boys for 2009-10

Published 12/3/2009 in Prep-Main

By BRETT MARSHALL

bmarshall@gctelegram.com

Perhaps it is appropriate that South Gray's senior guard Chase Clancy has the first name given to him by his parents.

On the basketball floor a year ago, it's what opposing defenses were doing to the 6-foot guard — chasing him.

Clancy was the lone junior to be selected to The Telegram's All-Area team a year ago and he headlines this year's group of talented boys.

In helping the Rebels to a 24-2 record and a return to the Class 1A state tournament, Clancy is hoping for an encore performance in his senior season. He averaged 21.2 points, 4.2 assists and 3.2 steals last season.

"Chase has got a chance to really improve his game this season if he gets stronger," South Gray coach Mark Applegate said. "But he's a very good shooter and we're looking for good things from him."

Clancy recognizes that along with two other starters, the Rebels have an opportunity to make their fifth consecutive trip to the state tournament.

"We were disappointed to lose the opening round game," Clancy said about the end of last season. "We'll have three starters back and I think we'll be pretty good."

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Cody Bernbeck

Garden City's Cody Bernbeck is no stranger to playing under the spotlight.

A junior, Bernbeck will be starting at his guard spot again and he has also quarterbacked the Buffaloes' football team the past two seasons.

"Cody's an outstanding athlete and we'll be looking for his continued leadership," GCHS coach Jeff Tanner said. "With a year under his belt, he should be much stronger and we'll have a better supporting cast for him."

Last season, Bernbeck averaged 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals a game for a team that went 4-17.

"We've got more weapons this year and I think we'll be really improved," Bernbeck said. "We'll be a lot more balanced and that makes it easier for me."

Bernbeck shot 41 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range and hit 94 percent (32-of-34) of his free throws. He earned all-Western Athletic Conference honors as well. He took sole scoring honors for the Buffs in 14 of their 21 games.

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Tate Housholder and Drew Brown

Syracuse's Tate Housholder and Drew Brown will have a bundle of memories from their junior season as the Bulldogs posted their best record in school history (23-3) and had their highest finish ever in the Class 2A state tournament by placing third with a 46-43 victory over Nemaha Valley. Only a one-point overtime loss to eventual champion St. Marys spoiled the Bulldogs' trip to Manhattan in March.

Now, Housholder (a 6-3 senior forward) and Brown (a 6-2 senior point guard), are back for one more seasonal performance and with them are two other starters and several other reserve role players that give credibility for the Bulldogs to be ranked No. 1 in The Telegram's preseason poll.

"Tate and Drew certainly give us a good solid inside/outside threat and Tate can also hit the three," Syracuse coach Bill Peeper said. "We've got other players who will complement them, but they certainly are our top two players back."

With All-Area first team pick Lucas Plunkett gone to graduation, Housholder and Brown will likely be counted on to be key contributors to scoring after they averaged 13 and 12.3 points a game last year. Housholder averaged 5.5 rebounds and three assists while Brown pulled down five rebounds and handed out four assists.

The Bulldogs' only losses a year ago were to Class 1A Greeley County (23-2), Class 3A Holcomb (21-3) which reached the state tournament and to St. Marys in the state tournament.

"We've enjoyed a great deal of success in recent years and we hope with the experience that returns, we'll have a chance to have another good year," Peeper said.

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Jonathan Miller

The final player on The Telegram's preseason All-Area boys team is Greeley County's Jonathan Miller.

The 6-2 junior forward was one of many players instrumental in the Jackrabbits run to the 1A state tournament a year ago. While helping his team to an impressive 23-2 record including a victory over 2A third-place finisher Syracuse, Miller is hoping for an improved junior season.

"There's so many areas for me to get better," Miller said. "We've got a good group coming back and we're excited to see how we do."

Chip Schneider, the Telegram's Area Player of the Year last season will be missing from the Jackrabbits starting lineup.

Miller will be looking to improve upon his 10-point scoring average and has worked to get stronger to help with his rebounding.

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Best of the Rest: Mitchell Gaede, Holcomb, 6-0, senior, G; Zach Dunlap, Hugoton, 6-0, senior, G; Alex Swan, 6-0, senior, G; Ron Baker, 6-0, junior, G; Dylan Shalberg, Lakin, 6-1, senior, G/F; Patrick Garcia, 6-1, senior, G.

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