Cobden coach looks to seniors for success in upcoming season

First-year Cobden High School boys’ basketball  head coach Rhett Barke is looking to his seniors for success during the 2010-2011 season.

“It certainly helps to have Bo (Gearhart) and Rob (Lehr) back with their leadership,” Barke said. “If our young kids will step up now, we’ll be okay.”

Gearhart, a 6-4 center, and Lehr, a 6-3 forward/guard, are two of three starters returning from last year’s 15-13 squad. The other returning starter is 6-1 sophomore Josh Aspin. Lehr is the leading scorer returning from last season, averaging 18 points a game.

Other players Barke will be looking at are 5-8 junior guard R.G. Millis, 5-11 junior forward Sean Stadlebacher, 6-3 junior center R.J. Bridges, 5-9 sophomore guard J.C. Chapman and 5-8 sophomore guard Nathan Sweitzer.

Freshmen who could see varsity action are 6-0 forward Austin Flamm, 6-0 forward Tyler Lewey and 5-8 guard Zach Moore.

“We’ve got plenty of speed,” Barke said. “We’re working really hard on defense. And, as long as we take care of the ball we’ll be okay.”

Barke said the kids have adjusted well to the first year coach.

“Our kids have been working extremely hard and they have been responsive  (to a new system),” he said. “I think we’ll surprise some people.”

Barke looks to Meridian and Goreville as being the teams to beat in the South Egyptian Conference race.

“A lot of teams lost a lot to graduation,” Barke said. “But I’d like to think we could be in the running and finish among the top three.”

The assistant coach this year is Dave Ardrey, a former Southern Illinois University of Carbondale diving coach in swimming, who coached in the Pan American Games in Montreal in 1996.

The Appleknockers open their season in the Christopher Turkey Tournament  against Zeigler-Royalton next Monday.