Doniphan Dons jamboree: A pair of area squads hit the hardwood at DHS

DONIPHAN — It’s almost basketball season, and the Doniphan Dons kicked off with a little preseason competition at their Doniphan basketball jamboree.

The Dons welcomed Dexter and Alton High School on Thursday as each team used the games as extra practice before opening game day.

Doniphan junior Emmitt Jones has worked hard inside the gym all summer and is eager to step back onto the court as the Dons gear up for the first game at the Current River Challenge in Van Buren on Saturday.

“I love being back on the floor,” Jones said. “It’s been a long summer, and I am just pumped for our first game. I’ve been working on my consistency from the three and improving overall as a complete player. Our goal is to have all our ducks in a row before tip-off, and I will try and to get better and play better each game.”

Doniphan junior guard Emmitt Jones creates space with the triple-threat position against an Alton defender during Doniphan�s High School basketball jamboree.DAR/D'Courtland Christian

The Dons finished 17-10 the previous season and had an early exit in the Class 4 District 1 Tournament to Notre Dame. With last year’s stand-out athlete Max Owen out of the picture, the Dons will look for their next breakout athlete this season.

Though the Dons are returning with four seniors, they will rely heavily on establishing a solid foundation for their underclassmen.

While the Dons look to improve from last season, the reigning district champs, the Dexter Bearcats, are taking things slow in stride as they continue to figure out the game plan for this upcoming season.

Head coach Chad Allen said it’s always good to get some good practice against other opponents before playing when it counts.

Dexter�s Ethan Zabelin stands tall inside the post during a matchup against Alton at Doniphan�s basketball jamboree.DAR/D'Courtland Christian

“It feels really good to get out there and play against other teams, especially with one of those teams being in our district,” Allen said. “We use this opportunity to work on our offense and defensive schemes for the season. We have about a week to get ready, but overall, our effort in practice has gone really well so far.”

Dexter will kick off their season in two weeks as they hit the road to take on Charleston.