Something to prove

Battery Creek ready to establish itself in Region 8-AAA

Last acts are usually smooth, filled with rosy scenes and favorable breaks to celebrate the close of an era. But during Battery Creek High School's boys basketball team's final season in Region 8-AAAA, things played out more like a fall from grace rather than a graceful exit.

After finishing the first half of the season with a record of 10-4, a season-ending injury to senior point guard Trumain Spencer began a region run to forget. Turnovers and missed opportunities marked a 2-8 finish to the year, ending with the Dolphins missing the postseason for just the second time in 10 years.

One of the few bright spots was the emergence of versatile senior Cameron Blake, who played just about every position and finished with a team-high average of 16.2 points per game.

"I think if Trumain hadn't gotten hurt, we'd have done better in the region," Battery Creek coach John Drafts said. "We got off to a great start and played well without Trumain, but once we got in the region, we needed a true point guard and we just didn't have it."

This year, the Dolphins don't have Spencer or Blake, but what they do have is a hunger to prove themselves in the new surroundings of Region 8-AAA.

By the sound of things, Battery Creek fits right in with its new neighbors. The undersized yet quick Dolphins will look to find success through fast-pace, full-court play that Drafts says characterizes Class 3-A basketball.

"I think that style fits the strength of our team," said Drafts, who is entering his 26th season at the helm. "We're not big in that we have the height, but we don't have some of the bulk inside. This league is more of a pressing league, so we'll have to get used to that, but I think we'll fit in well."

Much of this will depend on the Dolphins' biggest player -- height-wise, at least -- in 6-foot-6, 170-pound forward Brent Evans. The junior's ability to drain outside shots, create second-chance points in the paint and find the open man will prove key in jumpstarting their offense. It's a role that Evans somewhat reluctantly embraces but is prepared to fulfill.

"Sometimes I like to pass more than I shoot and make my teammates look better than me," said Evans, who averaged 7.8 points a game last season. "But when I'm hot, I like the ball in my hands … well, no, I love the ball in my hands.

"But I just want to win, really. Being the star doesn't matter because I could score 25 points and if we still lose, it wouldn't mean anything. So, team chemistry and us working together is the biggest thing for me."

And as the Dolphins found out last season, a lot of that flow starts with point-guard play.

Quickness won't be an issue, as C.J. Thomas, Chris Thomas and Javari Albergotti have plenty of it, but they must be able to harness this speed and turn their transition opportunities into baskets.

Granted, the expectation is that a faster pace of play can often create more turnovers. But as Drafts sees it, this same style also can breed more scoring opportunities, meaning a better chance to outpace their opponents and make their entrance into Class 3-A much more pleasant than last season's grand finale.

"If you have a lot more possessions, then you probably will have a lot more turnovers, but you can't have turnovers killing you with your possessions," Drafts said. "So if possessions increase and we're scoring out of those possessions, then the number of turnovers won't be as big of a factor and we should be able to compete pretty well."