Basketball team 3-0 in the conference
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
It’s clear the challenging non-conference schedule early in the season is starting to pay dividends for the East Troy High School boys basketball team.
And it’s the Trojans’ Rock Valley Conference opponents who are paying a heavy price.
East Troy ran its RVC record to a perfect 3-0 last week with a 78-69 win at Clinton. The Trojans improved to 4-3 overall heading into a home game Tuesday against Brodhead.
Results of that contest were unavailable.
A few illnesses running through the team and some shooting issues kept the game with Clinton close through the first half, coach Darryl Rayfield said.
But the Trojans found a way to get it done.
“Kids hung in there,” he said. “Sometimes you just have to find a way.”
East Troy was just two for 18 from behind the 3-point line in the first half and finished at five for 30 overall.
That won’t get it done on a normal day, Rayfield said.
“The thing about 3-point shooting teams is it can keep teams that aren’t as good close when you fail to do the other things,” he said. “Most of the time, you get beat.”
Two areas that need to improve moving forward, Rayfield said, are rebounding and transition defense.
“We need to (do both) for sure,” he said. “We have guys that play a lot of minutes and not get one rebound. I just don’t understand that. Believe me, we talk about it.
“The shooting thing is not a concern. We will shoot it well night-in and night-out.”
Jake Nixon led four Trojans in double digits with 26 points. Official statistics from the game were unavailable, but Rayfield said other scoring leaders included Justin Growel, Joe Ciriacks and Johnathan Brehm.
Rayfield said he was hopeful his team would finish its pre-Christmas schedule Tuesday against Brodhead on a positive note. East Troy will be idle after the game until Jan. 4, when it travels to Cedarburg and legendary head coach Tom Diener, who last week won his 500th career game.
“We would like to play well Tuesday night before the long break,” Rayfield said. “Winning before the holidays always makes for good mojo.”
Change is well-received
Unlike his coaching colleague with the girls, Jeff Brown, who this week said he doesn’t like the 18-minute halves, Rayfield said he’s a fan of the move that happened effective with the start of the current season.
“I love 18-minute halves,” he said. “I think it benefits deeper, better talented teams. It makes us develop more multi-skilled kids. You’re not going to be able to steal games.”
One adjustment, Rayfield said, is how he manages the game, specifically with foul trouble. Even though the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association added four more minutes, players still get five fouls before they are forced to leave the game.
“Managing the game with substitutes now is even more crucial,” Rayfield said. “That makes it fun.”
