Hard work and depth keys as Bobcat season approaches

SUPERIOR - Ninth-year Superior Bobcat boy’s basketball head Coach Chris Toivonen has stressed one thing as his team gears up for the upcoming regular season – hard work.

After last years 16-2 regular season and an early exit in the postseason, Coach Toivonen said hard work will determine the success of this year’s team.

"You have to be careful predicting wins and losses but I think this team has the ability to be a very, very good team," Coach Toivonen said. "A lot of it is how hard we work and how things fall into place."

Coach Toivonen added there are two seasons, regular and post, and his goal for this season is to put together "great" regular and postseason. The depth of the Bobcat team this season could help them do just that and Coach Toivonen said that he has eight players on his squad that could start for the Bobcats.

"Obviously we aren’t going to start eight guys, I wish we could, we are probably going to start six of them who I think are fabulous players," Coach Toivonen said. "The other two guys I think are phenomenal as well. It might even be beyond that, we have some younger guys who can play too. We’ve got solid depth."

Other than stressing hard work, the Bobcats have been focused on offensive and defensive execution in the half court for the majority of the practices. Coach Toivonen said that full court execution and defensive pressure is a "work in progress" but the team will still be prepared for it if it is needed.

On Saturday, the boys suited up for a scrimmage. Following his tradition, Coach Toivonen split the Bobcats into two evenly matched teams for the first three quarters of play.

"The big thing with that (balancing the teams) is that it gives the kids a good chance to play with somebody opposite from them that is really their equal," Coach Toivonen said. "It really pushes them."

After three quarters of play the boys then played a fourth quarter of varsity versus junior varsity.

"You want to be able to play with kids who are your equal and will push you athletically but you also want the older kids and the younger kids who are going to play together in the games be able to work together," Coach Toivonen said.

Coach Toivonen added that he saw a lot of positives from the scrimmage and this years team is "ahead" of where the squad was last year going into the season.

"I thought we worked together real well," Coach Toivonen said. "The offense on transition was really good, our point guards did a great job. We shared the ball and made some really nice passes which is good to see – a lot of pass and cut and not too much standing around. I think our half-court execution is a lot better than it was and our ability to score is better."

The Bobcats play their first game next Friday at Arlee in a set format tournament. Superior will square off against Drummond on Friday and will play Seeley-Swan the following evening.

"It will be a good test for us," Coach Toivonen said.

Superior’s home opener is the following Thursday against Arlee and Coach Toivonen said that the game should be a crowd pleaser.

"Arlee should have a fabulous team so it will be a heck of a game to watch," Coach Toivonen said. "That could be a really good game."