Young Bell City growing, finding some success, as a hoop program

BELL CITY – If you attended the Bell City High School varsity boy’s basketball game against Dexter on Tuesday at Bell City, and focused on the Bearcats winning 83-27, you really missed the bigger picture regarding the Cubs.

Bell City dropped to 4-16 with the loss, but the fact that this program has won four of its last seven games is the important thing to focus on.

“Our guys are committed to understanding what we need to do,” first-year Bell City coach Luke Bixler said afterward. “We have really focused on our shifts on defense and trying to stop the basketball as a team.”

To put that defensive emphasis in perspective, entering Tuesday’s contest, the Cubs were holding opponents under 70 points per game for the first time since 2017.

Bixler calls his emphasis on that end of the court “ball defense,” and he has seen growth out of his players since they opened this season with nine consecutive losses.

“We play ball defense,” Bixler explained, “and that has helped us understand how to be in help-side position, jumping to the ball, being in position, and playing the basketball.”

The four victories may not sound like much, but the Cubs, as a program, have won just five games total over the previous five seasons.

“We’re building,” Bixler said.

The Bell City junior varsity squad has already won 13 games this year, and with 14 players in the program being either freshmen or sophomores, the future is brighter for the program than it has been for years.

“We’re extremely young,” Bixler continued. “So, we stick those guys together and let them compete and let them learn how to win. They are understanding how to play together and how to win.”

In Tuesday’s defeat, sophomore Baylor Eftink led his team with nine points, while junior Drew Roberts added five. All of the six Cub players who produced offensively against a much bigger, better, stronger, and more talented Dexter squad, will return for Bixler next season.

“My young guys are a really, really competitive group,” Bixler said. “They have to see some growth. We’ve had a little bit of success and I think that is opening their eyes to the big picture.”

Dexter was paced by senior Cole Nichols, who scored 35 points, while seniors Chris Stone (14) and Truman Krapf (12) also contributed.

Dexter (16-6) has now matched last year’s record of 16 victories and still has at least five games remaining. The Bearcats will host Kennett (7-12) on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Bell City will visit Meadow Heights (11-9) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.