DELTA BOYS BUILD WAVE OF MOMENTUM

After an 8-16 season three years ago, Delta's boys basketball team has enjoyed its station among the area's elite small-school squads the last two seasons.

Two years ago, the Bobcats went 19-6. The tide remained high last season as Delta posted an 18-10 mark and advanced to the championship game of its district tournament before losing to defending Class 1A state champion Richland.

With Garrett DeBrock still wearing a Bobcats uniform and seeking his third successive all-district selection, Delta's lofty goals have not slouched.

Delta coach Nate Crowden said he thinks a record approaching 20 wins is attainable once again.

"I think it's very possible," he said. "But we haven't done it yet. It takes a lot of work to get there. For our size school we play a good schedule."

"They look pretty good, and I think they'll be pretty competitive. They work real well together. I just want to see how good we can get."

While Delta lost three starters to graduation -- including honorable mention all-district picks Sammy Below and Jeremiah Cook -- the team's best player the past three seasons, DeBrock, along with starter Shawn Kinder, returns. Both are seniors.

Kinder missed much of last season with a back injury.

DeBrock averaged about 20 points and eight rebounds per game last season

"He's definitely a good player," Crowden said. "He's a good shooter, and he helps keep us settled down."

Crowden insists his team won't be a two-man squad, though. In fact, it may be among the deepest around.

"They're pretty good players, but it won't revolve around those two," he said. "We've got 12 kids on the team that are all going to play. There's not a lot of difference between all of them. Those two have more varsity experience, but I feel like they're all pretty good players.

"I think almost every game everybody's going to play."

The other seniors are 6-2 Aaron Altenthal, 6-0 Andy Blattel and 5-10 Lonnie Cook.

The juniors are 5-9 Ryan Livingston, 5-10 Greg Boelker, 6-0 James Gaddis, 6-1 Sammy Kight, 6-2 Dustin Nothdurft, 5-10 Lucas Green and 5-10 Josh Worthy. Delta's JV team won 17 games last season.

Crowden said his team has the potential to be very quick.

"They're pretty athletic, and their strength I think will be their quickness," he said. "That will all be determined by how well they put everything together. They're not playing as quick as I would like to see them right now."

Delta tips off the season in next week's Woodland Tournament.