Tigers’ new faces getting ready for league play

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BATTLE GROUND – Battle Ground boys basketball coach Wes Armstrong spent the first month of the season getting several new players acclimated to the Tigers’ program.

 

“We only have three returning letter winners and the rest of the guys are new,’’ said Armstrong, whose team headed into a Dec. 29-30 holiday tournament with a 3-4 overall record this season. “Eventually, we will be OK. I think right now we have a lot of untapped potential skill-wise.’’

 

Armstrong is in his third season as Battle Ground’s head coach. Last season, the Tigers posted a 13-12 record and advanced to within a game of the final 16 teams in the Class 4A state tournament, losing to Camas in their final game.

 

Battle Ground’s three returning players are senior guards Kobe Ford and Kellen Butler and junior forward Renato Mendoza. The 5-foot-11 Ford has led the Tigers in scoring through the first seven games of the season, averaging 13.7 points per game. He had a high of 19 points in a 67-58 win over Abbotsford, B.C. on Dec. 18 at the Curtis Winter Classic in University Place.

 

“He’s been our leader so far,’’ Armstrong said of Ford. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now at both ends of the court. We need him to continue to do that.’’

 

Butler has served as both a starter and a sixth man so far this season for Battle Ground. He hit two free throws with 0.8 seconds left in a 49-47 win over South Kitsap on Dec. 19, a victory that gave the Tigers fourth place in the Curtis Winter Classic. The 5-10 Butler had a season-high 14 points in a loss to Prairie on Dec. 11.

 

“He is our iron man,’’ Armstrong said of Butler. “He’s one of our better defenders and hardest workers. I expect a lot of good things from him.’’

 

The 6-3 Mendoza has been slowed by injuries early in the season. He did have 11 points in a 60-42 win over Hockinson on Dec. 9.

 

“Once he gets healthy, he will probably be one of the best shooters in the league,’’ Armstrong said. “He just needs to get healthy and get his confidence back.’’

 

Among the key newcomers are forwards Daelon Floyd and Cole Grossman.

 

Floyd is a 6-2 junior who had 20 points in a 67-51 loss to Foss on Dec. 4 and 17 in a 72-62 loss to Post Falls, ID, on Dec. 17.

 



“He’s real athletic,’’ Armstrong said. “When his motor is going he can be pretty dominant on the boards and he can score. He just needs to be more consistent. If we’re going to be a really good basketball team, we’re definitely going to need him.’’

 

Grossman is a 6-4 sophomore. He had 15 points in a 66-53 loss to Union on Dec. 15 in the Tigers’ only Greater St. Helens League game so far this season and he added 13 in the loss to Post Falls, ID.

 

“He’s just a sophomore and he’s getting better every day,’’ Armstrong said of Grossman. “He’s very athletic and he works extremely hard. He’s a very competitive player. As he grows and matures a little more, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be a very good basketball player.’’

 

Eddie Perez is a 6-0 junior guard who Armstrong calls his team’s “most improved player from last year.’’

 

“He’s very athletic,’’ Armstrong said of Perez, who had a season-high 10 points in the Dec. 9 win over Hockinson. “He’s our defensive specialist. He can guard smaller guys and also forward types. He’s not much of a scorer but he can go out and shut guys down.’’

 

Senior Landon Hall is a 6-0 guard who is a regular in the Tigers’ rotation. Hall had 10 points in the Dec. 18 win over Abbotsford, B.C.

 

“He can provide a physical presence,’’ Armstrong said of Hall.

 

Armstrong calls those seven players his “starting seven.’’

 

“We have a lot of depth this year,’’ Armstrong said. “We have 12 guys who can step up and play at any time. I’m confident any of them can step up and fill a spot.’’

 

Curtis Stradley is 6-0 junior forward and Josue Mendoza is a 5-10 junior guard. Both see regular minutes in Armstrong’s rotation. Armstrong said Kyle Cahoon, a 5-11 senior guard, is a “deadly shooter’’ who is coming on after a slow start due to “nagging injuries.’’

 

Other members of the Tigers’ roster include Shane Hatch, a 5-11 junior guard, and Roberto Brizuela, a 6-0 senior guard/forward.

 

“We lost eight seniors from last year’s team so we essentially have a brand new team this year,’’ Armstrong said. “These kids are willing to work hard. They are fun to be around and they enjoy being around each other. They don’t like to lose. When we get some confidence, I think we can be a deadly team.’’