There won’t be a “key player” for Bayfield High School’s boys basketball team in 2013. New head coach Randy Stephens thinks depth will be the strength of his team in addition to a variety of skills.
“We don’t have one or two guys; I think we’ve got 9 or 10 guys that I feel pretty confident in, and I think that all of them can contribute,” he said. “We’re trying to mesh all of those strengths together and eventually minimize our weaknesses and get to the point where everyone’s playing well together.”
Stephens has coached for 30 years, 10 of them in Colorado.
Originally, he is from Montana and previously worked at Wray High School and Valley High School.
“I’m new, but I’m not totally green to all this stuff,” Stephens said. “I understand the system and everything.”
His system focuses on “pure hustle and aggression.”
Stephens wants his team to be relentless.
The Wolverines will pressure their opponents both offensively and defensively from the first tip to the final buzzer.
“He has some new things we haven’t done in the past in practice, working on a new offense, new defense,” said BHS senior Trey Lange, son of Greg and Michele Lange. “He’s really about pushing the tempo on defense and keeping pressure on teams the whole time.”
It’s all part of changing the culture at BHS.
The Wolverines only won three games last season and only have been above .500 once since 2006.
“We need to instill some enthusiasm and some confidence and belief that they can compete and be one of the better teams around,” Stephens said.
The Wolverines have adjusted well to Stephens’ coaching style.
They lost three seniors to graduation from a team that largely featured freshmen and sophomores last year, so Stephens more or less has a clean slate to work with.
“I feel like this team, we have depth on our team, and I feel like what he’s bringing can push us to be the best we can and the best we have in a while,” Lange said.
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
