HAVILAND - With their top three scorers returning from a team that
was 19-6 overall and Green Meadows Conference champions, Wayne Trace
enters the 2019-2020 season with high hopes for success in the upcoming
boys basketball campaign.
The red, white and blue will be under the direction of 12th year head coach Jim Linder, who stands at 175-90 for his career.
Wayne
Trace brings back its top three scorers from a year ago, led by 6-6
senior guard/forward Nathan Gerber. Gerber bucketed 14.9 points per game
for the Raiders last season, adding 6.5 rebounds a contest while
hitting 51 three-point field goals.
The Raiders also have back 6-0
senior guard Jace Vining, who scored 10.7 markers a night and connected
on 43 treys while pulling down three rebounds a night while dishing out
34 assists and recording 18 steals.
The third part of that trio
is senior guard Reid Miller, who returns following a season that saw him
score 9.2 points a game with a team high 75 assists and 44 steals.
“We
will look to all three of them to lead us this year,” noted Linder.
“They all three bring different attributes to the team so we expect them
to give us quality leadership and be good role models for the guys
coming in for the first time.”
Two other players who saw action
last season and will be counted upon to contribute are senior forward
Alex Reinhart and junior guard Trevor Speice.
Reinhart, at 6-5,
will be a key rebounder for Wayne Trace as the Raiders have an overall
lack of size. Speice, a 6-0 junior, also is expected to give the Raiders
quality minutes at the guard position.
“I think one thing about
this team is our role players are going to be critical for us,” added
the Raider mentor. “We are going to have several guys who are going to
be battling for playing time and all of them are capable of coming in
and giving us quality minutes.”
Senior forwards Cale Crosby (6-2),
Nathan Crosby (6-3) and Drew Forrer (5-11) all are looking to be in the
mix as well along with sophomore guards Trevor Sinn (5-9), Grayson
McClure (5-10), Cameron Sinn (5-10) and Cameron Graham (6-3).
“They
all have different strengths and weaknesses,” Linder continued of his
2019-2020 roster. “This team is a work in progress and we are still
trying to find out where guys fit in best. We aren’t going to have a
traditional or true inside presence but we will do it by committee.
Developing chemistry is always a key as well.”
“We want to get
better each day,” added Linder. “Improving each week and each game is
something this team is looking to do. If we are able to do that, we feel
like it will take care of the rest.”
As far as the league goes, Linder feels the Green Meadows Conference race is wide open.
“I
think there are going to be some very good teams in the league this
year,” concluded the Raider head coach. “There are several teams that
are going to be better than last year so you are going to have to come
ready to play every night.”
Wayne Trace opens the season on November 29 as the Raiders visit a very talented Columbus Grove squad.