The East Atchison high school basketball teams are preparing for the 2016-17 season, which begins Tuesday, November 22, 2016, with jr. varsity and varsity against Maysville at Tarkio at 4:30 p.m.
Nineteen boys are on the team this year, which is coached by Robbie Bates and Christian Lovely. Twelve Tarkio boys and seven Fairfax boys make up the team, with many of them having played basketball last year as either jr. high or high school athletes. Coach Bates said the boys have been working on developing their style of play as one team (this is the first year of co-oped basketball for the high school athletes). They are upping the tempo of the game, working on pressing and turning their play into “organized chaos.” Coach Bates said if the boys continue to work hard and compete, the team should be very successful this year. There are a lot of players with great depth and there should be full jr. varsity and varsity boys’ teams competing. It will definitely be a season to watch!
There are 23 girls on the Lady Wolves’ team this year, which is under the direction of Dustin Barnes and Michael Hollingsworth. Thirteen of the players are from Tarkio and 10 are from Fairfax. All but four team members played last year. Coach Barnes commented, “There are several girls returning with playing and starting experience. We have been working through a lot of early season injuries and will probably not have everyone full strength until sometime in January. We are working on a lot of fundamental skills as well as learning new drills, defenses and plays. Since this is my first year coaching both sets of girls, they have a lot to learn about what I want and I have a lot to show them as well. We have spent a lot of time just learning drills. We expect to be able to play several full jr. varsity games. It is our hope to grow as a team and get better week by week. We have a very difficult early season schedule which should help us to learn how to compete and show us what we need to work on for the second half of our year. The girls have been working very hard and have been enthusiastic. We are excited about the season and hoping to have a very successful year.”
The 2016-17 East Atchison high school basketball schedule follows (this is the most current schedule):
11/22 – JV/V at Tarkio vs. Maysville, 4:30 p.m.
11/28-12/3 – V at Mound City Tourn, TBA
12/6 – JV/V at Fairfax vs. Stewartsville, 5 p.m.
12/8 – JV/V at Fairfax vs. Sidney, 4 p.m.
12/9 – JV/V at N. Andrew, 4:30 p.m.
12/12 – JV at South Page, 6 p.m.
12/13 – JV/V at Tarkio vs. N.E. Nod., 5 p.m.
12/15 – JV Boys at Fairfax vs. Sacred Heart, 6:30 p.m.
12/16 – JV/V at Nod.-Holt, 5 p.m.
12/20 – JV/V at Osburn, 5 p.m.
1/3 – JV/V at DeKalb, 5 p.m.
1/5 – JV at S. Nod., 6 p.m.
1/6 – JV/V at Fairfax vs. Union Star, 5 p.m.
1/9-14 – V at Fairfax Tourn., TBA
1/17 – JV/V at Tarkio vs. S. Holt, 5 p.m.
1/18-21 – JV at West Platte Tourn., TBA
1/19 – JV at Jefferson, 6 p.m.
1/20 – JV/V at Rock Port, 5 p.m.
1/23-28 – V at NWMO Tourn., TBA
1/23 – JV at Tarkio vs. Falls City, 5:30 p.m.
1/30 – JV at Mid-Buch., 6 p.m.
1/31 – JV/V at W. Nod., 5 p.m.
2/3 – JV/V at Tarkio vs. N. Nod., 5 p.m. (Homecoming)
2/6 – JV at Tarkio vs. DeKalb, 6 p.m.
2/10 – JV/V at Mound City, 5 p.m.
2/14 – JV/V at Fairfax vs. S. Nod., 5 p.m.
2/16 – JV/V at Fairfax vs. Jefferson, 5 p.m. (Senior Parents’ Night)