Chargers basketball games will be starting soon, and the teams are ready to get going.

Head Boys Basketball Coach Lance Kading says that practice started yesterday, but that he had a few opportunities to observe the guys in open gym settings. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that while upperclassmen are going to be the real workhorses for the team this year, there are some younger faces that could make a difference as well.

“A really good freshman group is coming in. I mean, there’s probably, I’d say four or five freshmen that have a legitimate shot of playing some meaningful minutes this year on the varsity level. So, you know, we’ll get a lot of JV (junior varsity) experience for all of them and also get them working in the varsity rotation, and kind of throw everything together and see what we can come up with for chemistry, and get out there and compete.”

Kading mentions that a lot of the work load will be put on the shoulders of the only returning starter, senior Joe Crawford, and fellow senior Tommy Skram. He adds that other returners that weren’t starters but that saw meaningful varsity time last year include senior Blaize Dorsey, and juniors Preston Kent and Jonny Kading, though it may be December or after the Christmas break before Jonny can get fully into the swing of things as he’s on the tail end of recovering from ACL surgery.