RIVERSIDE

Oh, how the circumstances have changed for the boys basketball team at Highland.

One recent night, head coach Bill Zywiec instructed the Huskies through multiple offensive sets.

A year ago, that wasn’t possible. Highland didn’t have any returning starters. Most of the team’s preseason practices were canceled because Highland Schools went to a hybrid learning model during a COVID-19 surge. Five games were canceled.

“It’s just been great to have a true first week of practice,” Zywiec said after the fourth night of practice on November 18. “Last year we started five guys that had never started a varsity game before.”

Three of those starters are back this season, including Chase Schultz, a 6-foot-3 senior center who led the Huskies in scoring (11.2 points per game) and rebounding (5.8 rpg) last year. Among those joining him in the starting five are senior guards Connor Grinstead and Trevor McFarland. They ranked second and third in rebounding last season.

The Huskies have four more seniors, including Brenton Bonebrake, a guard who drilled 10 3-pointers last year and had 18 steals, and 6-foot-3 center Devin Lovetinsky, who is on the varsity squad for the first time.

Other seniors are Kaige Vonnahme and Jaden Schmid.

The last time Highland started five seniors, Zack Lasek and Mason McFarland led the Huskies to a 20-win season and a runner-up finish in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference two years ago.

“You can tell that we’re more of a veteran team this year,” Zywiec said. “We’re a little bit more confident, we feel like we kind of belong where we’re at right now. You can see that in practice every day. Kids come in confident, they’re ready to go, we’re not messing around.”

The Huskies not only have a large senior group, but also freshmen and a notable sophomore in 6-foot-5 center Nicolas Oriano. Guards Logan McFarland and Sage Hartley-Norman are among the freshmen expected to reach the varsity level this year.

“With us having 10 freshmen, I’m really counting on the leadership of those seven seniors to help those 10 freshmen out, to understand the culture that we’re trying to put through here and understand that when we’re here we want to have fun, but we’ve got to get stuff done at the same time,” Zywiec said.

Tyler Thompson, a 5-9 forward, is the only junior on the team.

The Huskies open the season Friday at home against Winfield-Mt. Union, providing an early test because the Wolves’ lineup includes 6-foot-4 sophomore forward Cam Buffington, a University of Iowa football recruit, and Abram Edwards, a 6-6 sophomore forward.

While the Wolves have played teams like Mid-Prairie, a Class 2A team that is a River Valley South title contender, in the preseason, the Huskies have remained home working on all those plays that weren’t really possible a year ago.

“Our focus is just about us getting ready for the season,” Zywiec said. “I think we can work some of that stuff out, just going up and down ourselves in different game situations. Our focus this year is on us and not making excuses. I told them, this year there’s no excuses. We need to clean up mistakes that we’ve made.”

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES

Head coach: Bill Zywiec

2020-21 record: 4-10

Class 1A Tournament: Lost 55-52 to Waco in a play-in game.

Top returnees: Connor Grinstead, Trevor McFarland and Chase Schultz, all seniors. Schultz led the Huskies last year in both scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg).

Top newcomers: Devin Lovetinsky, a senior, who didn’t play basketball last year, and Nicolas Oriano, a sophomore.

Seniors: Chase Schultz, C, 6-3; Connor Grinstead,  G, 5-11; Trevor McFarland, G, 5-11; Brenton Bonebrake, G, 5-7; Kaige Vonnahme, G, 5-9; Jaden Schmid, F, 5-8; Devin Lovetinsky, F.

Junior: Tyler Thompson, F, 5-9.

Sophomore: Nicolas Oriano, C, 6-5.

Freshmen: Logan McFarland, G; Sage Hartley-Norman, G.

SCHEDULE

Dec. 3: WINFIELD-MT. UNION

Dec. 6: At Lone Tree

Dec. 7: At Mediapolis

Dec. 10: WAPELLO

Dec. 11: DANVILLE

Dec. 14: At Louisa-Muscatine

Dec. 17: COLUMBUS

Dec. 21: At Hillcrest

Jan. 4: At Pekin

Jan. 6: ENGLISH VALLEYS

Jan. 11: LONE TREE

Jan. 14: At Winfield-Mt. Union

Jan. 18: MEDIAPOLIS

Jan. 21: At Wapello

Jan. 25: LOUISA-MUSCATINE

Jan. 28: At Columbus

Jan. 29: At New London

Feb. 1: HILLCREST

Feb. 3: At Pekin

Feb. 5: SEISC Shootout

Feb. 7: At Keota