Teaching the fundamentals of the game has been the norm for Hays High head coach Danny Preuss roughly a week into the preseason basketball practice schedule.
With a Rebel varsity roster that could comprise of seven total freshman and sophomores, Preuss understands the challenges his players will face as the rigors of varsity basketball loom.
However, expectations of success for a program that hasn’t missed the playoffs in roughly a decade pushes Preuss and his team to fight as hard as they can.
“The mentality is Hays wins basketball games and that’s our attitude,” Preuss said. “That’s what we’re going to have to rely on. Hard work and hustle and hopefully we can live up to that tradition.”
“It’s tough enough going from junior variety to varsity, or freshman to junior varsity. When you go up three levels, it’s a learning curve ... The effort is there, but now it’s trying to learn everything and not forgetting it when you go into battle.” Danny Preuss, Hays High head coach
Hays will turn to senior leaders Gabby Bosquez, Chloe Aguirre and Lizzy Gibson for guidance in 2017.
Bosquez, who has been a first-team all district selection each of her three years on varsity, is one of the top returning players in the district, Preuss said. Aguirre saw minutes early in the 2016 season; so far, she has focused on becoming more of an “enforcer role.”
“She’s a strong girl,” Preuss said. “When she wants to get out and play, she plays.”
Joining the three is Kaiya Ramos, who moved up from junior varsity last year.
Behind them are four freshman and three sophomores who will see their first varsity experience when the season opens Nov. 4 against perennial state contender Cibolo Steele.
What the underclassmen lack in experience, they make up for in size.
Freshman Lilly Guevera, sophomore Sydney Collins and freshman Trista Strasser range in height from 5-feet, 10-inches to 6-feet, 2-inches, respectively.
Preuss said when Strasser and Guevera were joined by fellow freshmen Abigail Percy and Madison Logan, they “don’t miss a beat, they’re pretty solid.”
Preuss said he anticipates continuing to play a high-tempo game. However, he also realizes there will also be mistakes along the way as well.
“It’s tough enough going from junior variety to varsity, or freshman to junior varsity. When you go up three levels, it’s a learning curve,” Preuss said. “The effort is there, but now it’s trying to learn everything and not forgetting it when you go into battle.”
Hays won’t be alone in trying to navigate a young team. Lake Travis, Lehman and Vista Ridge will also try to replace several key players. Westlake, which returns most of its roster from last year, will be a frontrunner, Preuss said.
“I think it’s wide open on who wants those other playoff spots,” Preuss said.
