Improved Bloomfield D is going to be needed as schedule toughens

Statistics can often be misleading in athletics, and a good example of such is studying the 2023-24 season for the Bloomfield High School varsity boy’s squad.

On one hand, the Wildcats (6-7) have dropped four of their past six outings. However, on the other hand, if Bloomfield can get past Woodland (9-4) on Friday in Bloomfield, which will be no easy task, the seventh win will be the program’s most since the 2017-18 season.

“I love my kids,” first-year Bloomfield coach Ben Sindle said recently. “They are ‘Yes, sir (and) No, sir.’

“They work extremely hard in practice. I am blessed.”

The Wildcats were scheduled to battle Stoddard County rival Bernie on Tuesday, but Mother Nature interfered with that contest. The Wildcats will face the Cardinals on Friday before hosting the Stoddard County Athletic Association Tournament next week.

This winter has been one for the books statistically for Sindle’s kids.

Not only did his team recently knock off Dexter (46-44) for the first time since Sindle was a sophomore shooter for the Bearcats in 2016, but both offensively and defensively, Sindle’s program has made strides in the right direction.

Bloomfield is averaging 52.5 points per game offensively, which is the most since the 2018-19 season while defensively, his team is having its best season (statistically) since the 2016-17 season, in which Bloomfield won 15 games.

“We try to be defensive heavy in practice,” Sindle said.

The Wildcats are holding opponents to just a touch over 50 points per game. Though it lost to a 12-win Malden squad 71-50 recently, Bloomfield held the Class 3 No. 15-ranked Green Wave to below their season average for points.

“Our kids are doing a better job of buying into the whole communication part of defense,” Sindle said recently.

In the Wildcat practices, Sindle said that there are “consequences” to a player having a defensive lapse.

“One person not doing their job,” Sindle explained of the Wildcats’ zone defense, “leaves four other people in trouble. If somebody doesn’t block out or call a cutter, those are consequences, because in a game, what happens? They score a bucket.”

The schedule isn’t going to do Bloomfield any favors anytime soon.

Sindle’s team hasn’t played a team with a losing record in a month, and Woodland comes into Friday’s game ranked No. 14 in Class 3, just ahead of Malden.

The SCAA Tournament will be led by top-seed Puxico (12-1), which is ranked No. 8 in Class 2 while Dexter, Richland (Essex), Bernie, (and again) Woodland are capable of beating any team on a given night.

“The kids have done a really good job,” Sindle concluded on his team defense, “I’ve got a great group of kids and they have all bought into it.”