The boys basketball team spanked the Battle Spartans and the Smith-Cotton Tigers of Sedalia in a preseason jamboree last night, allowing the Bruins to successfully inflict their first of several incursions against their opponents for the 2015-16 season.
While RBHS was dealing with slightly substandard offensive performances throughout the evening, they managed to suppress their opponents with an extra attention on defensive effort and playing with a fiery passion.
“As a team, I don’t think we scored as much as we usually do,” junior shooting guard Justin Hajicek said. “But every night you can control your attitude and your effort, and I think we played good defense, even though the shots weren’t falling as much as they usually do.”
While Hajicek believed all players performed exceptionally well, he especially credited junior Eysan Wiley for his noteworthy contribution to the box score throughout the night. Wiley, a 6’6”, 203 lb forward, transferred from Jefferson City High School to Rock Bridge for the 2015-16 school year.
“Eysan played well tonight,” Hajicek said. “He transferred to to Rock Bridge from Jeff City and has done a great job scoring inside and getting rebounds. I like playing with him and he is a great guy on and off the court.”
While Wiley himself is relatively new to Rock Bridge, his extensive experience with the Jefferson City Jays will potentially be a crucial factor in the Bruins’ success this year. He said his current tenure with Rock Bridge is a gratifying experience and a rewarding season is ahead with the talented roster the Bruins possess.
“I enjoy playing for Rock Bridge,” Wiley said. “Coach Scanlon is an amazing coach that pushes us players to play hard on the court and to do well in the classroom. I feel like we have a great shot at state this year. The jamboree shows how close we are as a team. We play great together and could make a real push in the later parts of the season. We are a very deep team and can play both sides of the ball. We will be a team to see this year.”
The double victory in the jamboree reflected the effort and passion the Bruins place on the sport of basketball. While the numerous young players are still in the process of becoming accustomed to RBHS basketball, there is no doubt a bright and productive season.
“We are still working out some kinks in our half court offense, presses and learning to play together,” Hajicek said. “But those things will improve with practice. I think we have a lot of potential on this team. We have all the pieces to be a really good basketball team. I am optimistic about our future.”