Second Row: Manager John Krutz, Mike Troth, Jeremy Hein, John Wetze, Trent Bates, Manager Heath Harper.
Third Row: Assistant Coach Ron Pund, Klint Arnold, Steve Schaefer, Ken Dilger, Matt Sisley, Kevin Heckel, Ken Muller, Assistant Coach Steve Merkel, Head Coach Dale Hein.
Heritage Hills Patriots will open their 1988-89 basketball season at disadvantage when they enter the Southridge invitational tourney this weekend (tonight).
Every other team in the tourney has at least one game under their belt, while the Pats will be stepping out for their first encounter of the season!
They are scheduled to face hosting Southridge, who opened their season against Princeton and suffered a 62-52 loss. What that game also reveals is that the Raiders have on amazing sharp-shooter in Paul Neukam, who was a 3-point expert in that game, connecting with six of the long range variety and racking up 32 points. They also have another long range bomber in Mark Buse, who hit three of that variety. It appears that the Raiders will work for the outside shot rather than down under seems to prefer bombing from outside. Neukam is a 6-2 junior, and they are the two tallest players on the squad.
Returning seniors are Tony Cochren at 6-1; Jason Songer at 6-0 and John Schroeder at 6-1. Cochran was injured in an accident in August, and is working out with the team, trying to get back in shape, but his status is unknown at this time. Steve Patberg is a 6-1 junior who racked up six in the season opener; Chris Lanman, a 6-0 junior, scored a pair. Coach Gary Duncan is a veteran at his job and will be ready when they tourney opens tonight (they face the Patriots at 7:30 p.m.).
Coach Dale Hein has lost two of his outstanding players, Jeff Hein and David Litkenhus; along with Trent Bates . . . but he is loaded for bear just the same.
Returning this season will be Ken Dilger, a 6-5 senior; Matt Sisley, a 6-6 junior; Steve Schaefer, a 6-5 senior; Klint Arnold, a 6-2 senior; John Wetzel, a 6-0 senior . . . and they are all returning lettermen! Ken Mulzer and Kevin Heckel , who chose not to play last season, are back on the roster this season. Both are seniors. Mulzer is 6-1 and Heckel is 6-2.
Stepping in to hopefully fill his brother’s shoes is Jeremy Hein, a 5-10 junior guard; Mike Troth, a 5-10 junior; Brian East, a 6-0 junior; and the list goes on. What ever coach Hein may be lacking, it won’t be in depth! It won’t be in in size! It won’t be in experience! It should be a banner year for the Heritage Hills Patriots!
When the tourney opened last season, the Pats polished off Jasper 72-65, but was dropped off by Southridge 55-50. They gained revenge during the regular season with a 59-41 win . . . but the first impressions are important, and veteran coach Hein won’t forget that first loss that year.
As for the other two teams entered in the tourney, Jasper and Northeast Dubois will open the contest at 6 p.m., and both also have games behind them this season. The Jeeps have racked up wins over Crawford County (65-59) and Barr Reeve (59-54). Their long-range bombers are Gene Harder and Bill Fengel. Both are guards. Leading the scoring thus far, however, has been 6-4 Jon Bauer, 168 lb senior. Scott Merkel, a 6-0 senior, is also a strong contender. Jasper opened their season with a 65-42 win over Washington Catholic, and depended on the talents of a pair of seniors, Scott Yarbrough 6-1 and Jason Ahlbrand 6-2. They are a strong defensive team which forces their opponents to make mistakes with their torrid mid-court trap. It ruffled the feathers of the Washington Cardinals into making 24 turnovers.
