Local athletes are ready to roll with the Raiders

Two former high school basketball standouts will take on the challenge of becoming a Raider this upcoming season as they look to add to their family legacies at Three Rivers College.

Max Owen of Doniphan and Cole Nichols of Dexter will kick off their freshman season as members of the Raiders men’s basketball team. The summer workouts are out of the way, and the team is ready to hit the court with their new additions to the squad.

Owen said the transition from high school basketball to college has been an adjustment, but he’s picking up everything very smoothly and had a solid summer learning the ins and outs of Raider basketball.

“Personally, everything has been going pretty well,” Owen said. “I’ve learned a lot from the new coaches here, especially the defense, which I am still learning. They’ve taught me so much more about the game of basketball than I realized, but that’s why I’m here. I want to learn, and I want to get better.

“Coming to different places can be kind of scary, but I’ve made a lot of new friends, and everyone has been very welcoming.”

Fellow team Nichols said the work has been hard as they gear up for the season, but he understands the expectations from the coaches, so he’s shown up every day ready to grind. He said the team looks good with all the talent they have and that everyone has been putting the work in, and it's been well so far.

During his time at Doniphan, Owen was a 1,000-point scorer for the Dons in his career and averaged 19.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg during his senior season, while Nichols led the Dexter Bearcats to their first Class 4 District 1 title since 2004 for his final year.

Like his father, Mike Owen, who played for the Raiders in the 1990s, Max Owen plans to continue the legacy of the Owen Family at Three Rivers, which was the key reason he wanted to play for them.

“Knowing that my dad is an alumnus of the Raiders was a huge plus for me,” Owen said. “Playing with them just makes everything so special, and I just knew if I came here, my Dons and fans would come here to watch. Three Rivers has some great fans with a family environment, and I just knew I would be welcomed with open arms.”

Owen isn’t the only player looking to build his family legacy with the Raiders, as Cole will follow in the footsteps of his uncle Benjy Johnson. Johnson won the NJCAA National Championship in 1992 with the Raiders and played his final two seasons at The University of Idaho, where he was a starter during both seasons.

While both prepare for next-level competition, they’ve already noticed the biggest differences from playing with their former teams.

“The game is a lot more competitive,” Cole said. “The court is a lot bigger, the game is a lot quicker and everyone is good here. In high school, most players are just happy to be on the team, but these guys are here to get better, and so am I.”

Max Owen was a 1,000-point scorer for the Doniphan Dons basketball team in his career and averaged 19.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg during his senior season.DAR/D'Courtland Christian

The Raiders assistant coach Trey Rakes has worked up and close with both and said they've been battling and competing while pushing everybody and each other to work harder.

“They’ve been doing well by bringing a lot of energy in practice and understanding our concepts of what we're trying to do,” Rakes said. “I've been very pleased with Cole and Max. They bring it every day, and they're just getting better and better.”

Cole said his goal this season is to work hard and be ready. He plans to use every practice as an opportunity to get better and work on his skills. Owen also intends to be ready and do whatever he can to help the Raiders.

“My expectations for myself are just to play as much as I can and be that guy out there that does whatever it takes to get the win for the team,” Owen said. “I’m excited to be on this team, and I will go out on the court each time and try my hardest. That’s my thing, try and play my hardest every day.”