By Quintin Harlan, Herald Bulletin Sports Writer
ANDERSON — Liberty Christian boys basketball coach Jason Chappell may just be the rare combination of a realistic optimist.
Chappell’s Lions squad returns just one starter from a year ago. Among the graduation losses was all-everything player Michael Horner.
Chappell knows that the early going may be rough but he’s looking forward to the challenge that comes with a young squad.
“These kids they listen and I’ve been tickled to death to coach them. They try and I’ll take kids like that any day,” said Chappell. “We have kids that are a little unorthodox, but they get the job done. It’s exciting for me as a coach because I get to teach; I get to go back to the basics and that’s fun.”
The nuts and bolts approach to the new season starts tonight when the Lions host University. Tipoff at The Den is slated for 5 p.m.
The Lions have just two seniors on their roster in 6-foot-5 center Nathan DeShazer and newcomer 6-foot-3 forward Andy Henderson.
The junior class is well represented by eight players on the roster. Among them is 6-foot-3 forward Jacob Thackery, who is the lone returning starter for the team.
One area the Lions seem well-stocked in is height as they have five players on the roster listed at 6 feet 3 inches or taller.
“We’re going to have a pretty big 1A team,” said Chappell. “It’s going to be a work in progress and the goal is at the end of the year.”
Among the new faces for Liberty are three move-ins and a freshman.
Dalton Phillips, Erik Huddleston and Andy Henderson comprise the trio of new faces by way of move in.
Huddleston attended Highland last season, while Phillips was enrolled at Pendleton Heights. Henderson was home schooled last year.
“I’m hoping to do the best that we can and the best that I can,” said Henderson of his expectations for the team and himself this season. “I think we’ll improve as time goes on.”
The freshman is 5-foot-9 point guard Thatcher Rouse. Another new face to the basketball program is junior Ryan Lechlitner who is coming off a record-setting season for the Lions soccer team.
Another new thing
The lone returning starter for the Lions is 6-foot-3 junior forward Jacob Thackery.
In the immediate future, the Lions want to be a tough-minded defensive team.
“We want to turn them into a defensive team and we want them to take pride in that,” said Chappell. “We also want to have a belief in themselves. They’re capable of doing some great things but when they get in game situations, will they remember the training?”
“I think we’ll be all right,” said Thackery. “But we can always improve.”
Something else that’s new for Liberty is its conference affiliation.
The Lions are members of the Pioneer Athletic Conference with Indianapolis Baptist Academy, Crispus Attucks, International and Greenwood Christian.
“It gives us a championship to fight for,” said Chappell. “I’d love to win our conference and I think that’s a goal we can accomplish this year.”
