Ignore Tuesday's loss, Fernetti, passionate kids, have Puxico playing well

DEXTER – If you’re going to evaluate the Puxico High School varsity boy’s basketball season on the 32 minutes the Indians played on Tuesday against Dexter, that would be a pretty inaccurate way to do so.

Puxico struggled to defend the ungodly hot perimeter shooting by the Bearcats, which was an anomaly for the Indian defenders, who have been very stringent this season.

“I thought we did a better job in the second half,” second-year Puxico coach Bryant Fernetti said afterward, “but they had nine 3’s at (halftime), that is hard to beat.”

The defensive task for Fernetti’s kids doesn’t get any easier. Puxico (12-4) travels to Greenville (15-1) tonight at 7:30 p.m. and will have to defend a team that is off to one of (maybe THE) best starts in school history.

For those that watched the Puxico game at Dexter, it may be surprising that the Indians are actually having a great season, and that includes at the defensive end of the floor.

Puxico is only allowing 54 points per game, which is the lowest amount since the 2007-08 season.

“A lot of that is just our kids’ effort,” Fernetti said. “They are buying in and they compete really hard every day in practice.”

Following a nice 15-12 season during the 2017-18 year, the Indians struggled for extended success. The program won a total of 18 games over three seasons, but Fernetti improved the program to 13 wins last year in his first season in town.

“I’m blessed to have a great group of kids, who want to play basketball, and want to be there,” Fernetti said. “That is how changes and wins happen.”

Fernetti has molded a group of athletes that not just compete and work during the season, but also have a love of the game that is evident all year long.

Three times in the last 12 years, the Indians have won 15 games, but none more than that, and no District titles in recent memory according to MSHSAA archives.

With seven regular season games remaining, plus next week’s Stoddard County Athletic Association Tournament at Dexter (No. 4-seed Puxico opens with No. 5-seed Woodland on Monday at 5:30 p.m.), as well as the postseason, Puxico has a real chance to set a recent high-mark for victories.

“You’ve got to have kids who want to be there and play,” Fernetti continued. “We’ve just got a lot of great kids and families that support what we’re doing and that makes a big difference.”

The Indians have played a lot of zone defense this season but will give teams pressing looks, as well as throw out a man defense from time to time, as well.

“We’ve tried to mix up different zones,” Fernetti explained. “We’ll press some and we’ve been trying to work in some man-to-man, here and there, because, for instance, (against Dexter) you can’t go zone against a team that shoots it so well.”

Fernetti cited senior Duncan Crabb and junior Jaydon Mitchell as being solid defenders, but that zone is helped by the lengthy presence of 6-foot-4 sophomore Greg Zimmerman, according to Fernetti.

“It helps that we have Zimmerman at the rim,” Fernetti said. “If we do get beat (on drives), he’s 6-4 and athletic and can affect a lot of shots back there.”

Of the 55 points that Puxico scored against Dexter, 28 came from players who will be back next year, as well.

“We’ve got a lot of youth,” Fernetti said.

Puxico has 15 players on its varsity roster, but only three are seniors.

“I like where the program is,” Fernetti said. “All of that goes back to the kids wanting to play, wanting to go play all of those games in the summer and get in the gym.”