BATTLE GROUND SENIOR Devin Johnson (23) is an imposing figure on both offense and defense for the Tigers. He is shown here attempting to block a shot during a game earlier this season.
BATTLE GROUND FORWARD Andrej Besara (24) is shown here attempting a shot against Prairie earlier this season. Besera is one of the Tigers’ key offensive players this season.
Battle Ground High School basketball standout Devin Johnson has been putting up impressive numbers so far this season.
The 6-foot-7 senior was averaging 14 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks per game before Battle Ground’s 51-47 loss at Heritage High School on Jan. 9. Johnson had game-high scoring honors that night with 25 points against the Timberwolves and, as usual, was a force under the basket.
Coach Wes Armstrong said Johnson, who was a role player last season, “has been phenomenal for us this season.” But he adds that the Tigers need other players to step up as the team enters the heart of 4A Greater St. Helens League play.
“We lost a great group of seniors from last year,” Armstrong said.
At 1-2 in league and 5-6 overall, Armstrong acknowledges it’s been a bumpy ride for his team so far this season. The team defense has been good, often holding opponents in the 40s, he said. However, Battle Ground needs more scoring punch to be in the running for a district playoff spot at the end of the season, he said.
A possible season-ending injury to guard Nate Moring – a torn calf suffered in a game against Prairie – hasn’t helped on the offensive side of things.
“We really miss his senior leadership,” Armstrong said. “I feel terrible for the kid. He put a lot of work into our program, but he’s handling it (injury) extremely well.”
Armstrong says there’s a chance Moring could return by playoff time, if Battle Ground can go that far. The team reached the final 16 last season before being eliminated.
Union High School (4-0 in league) is the class of the conference, Armstrong said. After that, he said, “It’s going to be a dogfight for those second and third playoff spots.”
Evergreen, Camas and Heritage will be battling Battle Ground for the coveted positions, Armstrong predicted. The schedule will become kinder to the Tigers the rest of the way, he noted. Battle Ground has had only two home games thus far, so the team will enjoy the home court more often from now on.
Shooting has plagued the Tigers, especially from three-point range, Armstrong said. The Tigers have been hitting about 24 percent of their shots from behind the arc, he said.
Defensively, the coach wants to see his players do a better job of covering opponents rather than leaving shooters open.
Battle Ground pressed Heritage during stages of the Jan. 9 game with some success.
“We’re not an extremely quick team, but guys understand their role in the press,” Armstrong said.
Whether the Tigers can make a post-season run depends on finding a player or two who can rise up, taking some of the scoring pressure off of Johnson. Armstrong said senior guard/forward Andrej Besara is a player who gained confidence in his shot early this season by defeating Camas with a last-second basket, scoring nine points in that game.
Backup scorers in the Heritage game were Besara and junior guard Kobe Ford with eight points apiece.
