FOOTBALL KEEPS ST. VINCENT GYMNASIUM QUIET

If the Maytag repairman got into coaching, he may draw a striking resemblance to St. Vincent boys basketball coach Bruce Valleroy.

With the Indians football team playing well into November for the second straight year, Valleroy has had a little idle time on his hands.

In fact, Valleroy's preseason numbers haven't even been enough for a friendly one-one-one scrimmage. The preseason practices have been comprised of just returning senior Todd Meyer. Everyone else has been pursuing a state football championship.

Valleroy takes it all in stride, and has even learned from last year's experience.

As athletic director, Valleroy has hopefully paved a smooth transition into basketball. Last year Valleroy thought his team fatigued late in the season and is looking to avoid the same scenario.

St. Vincent opens its season Dec. 2 in the Scott City Tournament, but has just two more games over the remainder of the month."We'll give them more time off in December and try to save their legs and hit it hard again in February and March."Also helping with the transition will be a senior-laden team that features three returning starters, including leading scorer and rebounder Ryan Prost. The Indians will start five seniors."We have a very knowledgable group of juniors and seniors and they seem to play well together," said Valleroy. "We did some work in summer camps. The main thing is when they come in is to get into basketball shape. The plays will come back pretty quickly."Prost, a 6-foot-3 center, averaged 15 points and five rebounds a game in pulling in all-conference and all-district honors.

The other returning starters are point guard Cory Strattman (5-8), who averaged eight assists a game as a junior, and forward Justin Amschler (6-0, 6 ppg.). Gabe Hotop (6-0, 5 ppg.), the team's sixth man last year, will start at forward and Meyer (6-0) and Anthony DeWilde (6-0) will alternate at the off-guard spot.

The senior group is the heart of a JV team that went 23-1 two years ago.

Last year's JV squad went 14-10 and will move juniors Ryan Brown (6-3, C/F), Derek Kutz (5-9, PG), Mark Gotto (5-10, G/F), Nick Emmendorfer (6-0, F), Jonathan Paulus (6-0, G) and Craig Schumer (6-0, G/F) to the varsity.

Brown, Kutz, Gotto and Paulus each averaged 10 points a game for the JV.Valleroy is hoping some of that scoring balance will rub off on the varsity. Last year, Prost was the only Indian to average in double figures."We probably need a few more kids to step up for us and score more than last year," said Valleroy. "I don't want to have to rely on Prost as much."With only two players over 6-foot tall, the Indians will face a challenge on the boards, but should be fairly quick. A fairly deep bench should also help keep players fresh and capable of playing an up-tempo style.

Meyer, Kutz, Gotto and Prost are all capable of hitting the outside shot. "We hope to play our best basketball the second half of the year," said Valleroy. "We feel we should be very competitive this year."