Beavers Have Four Returners

Members of the 2016-17 Wilton boy’s basketball team are, front row, l-r: Jake Said, Chandler Redington, Kaleb Timmsen, Tyler Hartman, Cole Rabedeaux and Nathaniel Fagner. Back row: Austin Pleggenkuhl, Jacob Shepherd, Jake Fratzke, Matt Paustian and Brady Barrett. Photo by Ryan Stonebraker. 

By Ryan Stonebraker

Sports Editor, Tipton Conservative

WILTON — Last season was a good one for the Wilton boy’s basketball team.  The Beavers finished 16-9, challenged for the River Valley Conference South title and advanced to a class 2A Substate game.  The Beavers will return a handful of players from that team who will look to make a mark of their own.

Wilton boy’s basketball coach Mark Patterson said that his team will have a different look to it this season.

“We know that we basically have a whole new team,” said Patterson.  

“We had to approach things differently this season.  In terms of experience we lost a lot.  We are having to go a little slower and re-teach things and get an idea of who fits where this year.  We have been here before.  It’s high school and that happens, you are not always going to have kids back,” he said.

Back this year are seniors Brady Barrett, Matt Paustian, Nate Fratzke and Kaleb Timmsen.  Paustian averaged 4.6 ppg, made 12 three pointers, had 65 rebounds and 25 assists.  Timmsen is the only starter back and averaged 3.6 ppg.  He shot 63-percent from the free throw line.  Timmsen was the third leading rebounder last season with 85 and he also had 22 assists and 20 steals.  Fratzke had 1.6 ppg and Barrett averaged nearly one-point a game last season.

“I think the kids are eager to get going with the season.  Preseason practices have been competitive.  They recognize that there are spots open.  They need to understand that their will be more adversity than in the past and we’ll be ok,” said Patterson.

Gone from last season are all-conference players Javin Drake, Zach Randolph, Jon Henessee and Jake Lenker.

Drake was a River Valley Conference Elite Team selection.  He was the leading scorer in the RVC South with a 19.3-point average.  He had 36 three pointers, got to the free throw line 120 times and shot 76-percent, and led Wilton in rebounding with 175 rebounds.  He also had 60 assists and 40 steals.

Randolph, Henessee and Lenker were on the RVC South Divisional team.  Randolph led the team in made three pointers with 44 and got to the free throw line 91 times while shooting almost 70-percent from the line.  Randolph averaged 14.3 points a game and had a team high 94 assists and 63 steals.

Henessee averaged 9.2 points a game and had 132 rebounds.  Lenker, who is not out this year, averaged 8.5 points a game and made 23 three pointers.

Patterson said that he will be interested in seeing how his team does shooting wise.  One question mark will be perimeter shooting.  The Beavers lost a lot of producation from the three-point line, graduating or losing their top-3 long range shooters.

Wilton’s roster is young with 15 kids either a freshman or sophomore.  The Beavers have 11 sophomores out this season.

“We have a big group of sophomores and a few of them could dress on our varsity team this year to give the varsity guys some breaks.  We’d like to keep as many of them together as we can,” said Patterson.

Patterson said that he and his staff have had a lot of teaching going on in the preseason.

“It’s been fun, we (coaches) have been getting back to covering things that you haven’t had to in the past because we have had returners back.  The kids have been working hard and our goal is to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season,” said Patterson.

WIlton begins the season at home against West Branch on November 29.  Wilton will play four of their first five games of the year at home.  After a game on December 1 at Columbus Junction, home games with Cascade, Mid-Prairie and Iowa City Regina are next.  Wilton will play the first of two games against Durant right before Christmas break on December 20 at home.  The Beavers travel to Durant on January 13.

Wilton plays non-conference games at Columbus Junction and have home games with Wapello and Louisa-Muscatine after Christmas break.

Wilton Beavers

2015-16 Record: 16-9

2015-16 RVC Record: 10-8

2015-16 Postseason: 2/15 - Wilton 49, Mid-Prairie 35; 2/18 - Wilton 67, Louisa-Muscatine 57; 2/23 - Iowa City Regina 65, Wilton 43.

Returning Starters (1): Kaleb Timmsen (3.6 ppg.).

2015-16 All-Conference RVC Picks: Javin Drake - RVC Elite Team; Zach Randolph - RVC South Divisional Team, Jon Hennessee - RVC South Divisional Team, Jake Lenker - RVC South Divisional Team.

2016-17 Roster: Seniors — Brady Barrett, Jake Fratzke, Matt Paustian, Kaleb Timmsen.  Juniors — Cole Rabedeaux, Jacob Shepherd, Jake Said, Tyler Hartman.  Sophomores — Jared Townsend, Ashton Stoelk, Chase Miller, Garrett Bohnsack.