Plum City hoopsters learning as they go through 2012-13 season

• Team picture

Members of the 2012-13 Plum City High School Boys Basketball Team are in the first row (from left) Ben Funk, Nash Gilles, Andrew Gilles, Wyatt Schultz. In the second row is Josh Fenter, Jaden Foley, Austin Coss, Alex Boyer, Tyler Niebur, Kyle Erickson and Chris Longsdorf.

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While wins and losses still count, Plum City High School Boys Basketball Head Coach Zach Watkins knows that has to be more ways to judge the play of the Blue Devils squad this season.

That’s because PC has just two seniors total in its whole program while the varsity squad is made up of seven sophomores.

Plum City had to start over after last season’s senior-dominated squad finished 6-15 overall, 5-11 in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference. The Blue Devils got off to a slow start, neared the .500 level after a 61-56 win Feb. 6 over Glenwood City, and then collapsed losing nine straight. Gone from that team were all-conference players like Chase Luebker and Chad Fox along with Lawton Radle, Kris Kruger, Jon Weiser and Travis Hines

The schedule makers did the Devils no favors again by putting them up against some of the best teams in area and the D-SC right away, including Alma/Pepin, Colfax, Boyceville and Elmwood.

But Watkins sees the little things improving despite the losses, which has him believing PC can be a better squad after the New Year.

“You have to keep the encouragement up and show the players where we’re making progress,” Watkins said. “I see us running our offense better than at the start of the season. We’re getting better shot opportunities and we doing better on defense too.”

But with such a young team and such a tough schedule in store Watkins knows progress will be painful as well. He’s hoping the Devils four returning lettermen, senior Tyler Niebur, junior Kyle Erickson and sophomores Austin Coss and Alex Boyer, can do their best to alleviate this. He also hopes the team’s overall size can also in play in their favor. PC has several long bodies in junior Jaden Foley, senior Josh Fenter.

“Some of the sophomores will have to split time with the JV team due to the numbers situation,” Watkins said. “Others are going to have to get better with each hard lesson and hopefully they can. I think we have a quicker team than we had last season and I like the kids’ aggressiveness. We’ve got six guys who can take it to the basket. Everyone is going to have to contribute something to give us a chance.”

Watkins sees Colfax, Elk Mound, Elmwood and Mondovi as the top four teams in the D-SC this season.

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