Bloomfield to need its 'trash guy' against tough Rebels

In any way that you want to analyze the 2023-24 Bloomfield High School boy’s basketball season, the Wildcats have proven to be a success, regardless of their 11-12 record.

This squad has made incredible strides offensively, defensively, and in terms of games won over previous seasons.

“I am proud of the kids,” first-year Bloomfield coach Ben Sindle said earlier this season. “They work their butts off.”

The Wildcats have a tough one to close out their regular season, as they host Stoddard County Athletic Association Tournament champion Richland (Essex) (18-7) tonight at 7:30 p.m. If Bloomfield has any hopes of pulling off a shocking win, it will need a strong performance from senior forward Lucas Dowdy.

“He is our motor,” Sindle said of Dowdy earlier this season. “Not only does he work his butt off inside (offensively), but also on the defensive end.”

Dowdy is probably (at best) 6-foot-2, but he is an old-school post player, who can score on the block. However, a lot of his offensive production just comes via effort points, such as in transition, offensive boards and putbacks, and cutting to the basket for dump-offs from driving teammates.

“He does the dirty work,” Sindle continued. “He’s like the trash guy, the guy who does all of the dirty things.”

The Wildcats are better as a squad at both ends of the floor this season.

Bloomfield is scoring just over 52 points per game, which isn’t a ton, but it also doesn’t allow more than 52 points per game, so they are in most games.

The offensive production is the highest for a Wildcat squad in five seasons while Sindle’s defense is better than any Bloomfield team since the 2016-17 season, and Dowdy has a lot to do with that.

“Lucas blocks out every time,” Sindle said. “Every time there is a shot, he reads it so well off of the rim to go get it. And then, plus, he’s strong.”

Dowdy is going to need to be because Rebel forwards Eric Williams and Tucker Hughes are really effective on the glass, though Richland (Essex) coach Matt Cline hasn’t been pleased with that aspect of play lately.

The Rebels are in the midst of their best season in 14 years, but they have three of their last five games and never led in their overtime win at Bernie on Tuesday until in overtime.

“I really haven’t liked the way that we rebounded (lately),” Cline said. “We’ve also struggled a little bit shooting.”

Hughes is longer and more athletic than Dowdy while Williams is just very similar to Dowdy in that he just figures out how to get the job done down low. In addition, the Rebels can bring a strong senior in Jaden Pope off the bench to bang on the glass.

“Lucas can hold his own,” Sindle said. “He is a strong young man, and he knows how to use his body. That benefits him against a zone or a man (defense).

“He just knows how to make those moves and turn and finish.”

The 11 victories by the Wildcats this season are the most since the 2016-17 team won 15 games.

Bloomfield will host the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 Tournament on Tuesday, as the Wildcats face Advance (3-19) at 6 p.m.