Bobcats eager to turn the corner

DELTA, Mo. -- Delta boys' coach Robert Stein says this could be the year his team turns the corner. The Bobcats may not win 20 games or their district, but according to Stein they won't have to.

"To turn things around you have to win games no one expects you to win," Stein said. "This could be a turning year for us."

The Bobcats were 8-16 last year and 0-6 in the Scott-Mississippi Conference, but Stein said the records don't reflect his team's performance.

"We played tough each night," Stein said. "About 10 of our losses came by 15 points or less last year. We're hoping to win a few games no one thinks we can and hopefully turn the corner."

Delta lost its two leading scorers from last year, guards Lance Kinder and Craig Bock. The pair combined for 82 percent of Delta's offense. Kinder was an all-conference and all-region pick last year while Bock was all-conference.

Senior guard Thomas Horn (5-foot-9) will step in to fill some of the vacancy.

"It's going to be tough replacing those guys," Stein said. "I don't know if you can replace them."

Sophomore point guard Brent Menz (5-10) will also see significant minutes after he gained varsity experience last year. Senior Pat Lingo (6-2), a key bench player last year, and Pat McCoy (5-8), who is up from the junior varsity, will play significant roles.

Stein said his club is a much more balanced team than last year's squad, which could help them especially on defense.

The Bobcats have built a formidable front-court led by senior Joey Keys (6-4), a 225-pound post player who averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds last year. Junior forward Matt Kinder (6-2) is quick and athletic. Junior center A.J. Begley (5-11) also returns.

Players from last year's JV are also contending for spots: juniors Derek Helderman (5-6), Vince Flores (5-10) and Daniel Cook (6-1); and sophomores Kevin Bartels (6-3), Cody Crowden (5-10) and freshman Aaron Kinder (6-1).

Stein is in his second season with Delta and says his players are finally settling into his style of coaching.

"I do things a lot different than the other coaches that have been here," Stein said. "But I expect to see some results this year. I think they're going to show through. But for us to be competitive with other teams in our area, we have a lot of hard work ahead of us."

Delta has a couple big challenges early, playing defending Class 1 state champion Bell City on the road Dec. 13 and at Oran Dec. 20.

"If we can figure out a way to just play with them," Stein said, "then we can make a big statement."