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North Boone basketball putting in the summer work in hopes of winter results
CORRESPONDENT
The North Boone Vikings have been hard at work with summer league, offseason workouts, and more.
North Boone boys head coach, Beth Doetch, has been preaching the importance of offseason work. In 2022-2023, the Vikings finished with a middle of the road record of 14-16. Together, Doetch and the boys are hoping their work in the offseason can lead to some improvements in the winter.
“It is stressed in our program that what needs improvement is our workouts outside of the season.” Doetch shared when discussing the Vikings’ offseason plans.
At that point, the Vikings had wrapped up their regular season as part of the Pecatonica-Winnebago Summer League. The Vikings finished with an overall record of 4-4, but they were just a couple of possessions away from being 6-2.
One loss was a buzzer beater loss to Oregon. Another was a two-point loss to the Winnebago Indians. The Vikings are hopeful to learn and find a way to come out on top of those close matchups when they matter most.
Despite the 4-4 record, Doetch was pleased with what she saw from the Vikings this summer.
“Our improvements season to season was our goal when I took this program over.” Doetch shared, after saying the summer league was, “going pretty well.”
The Pecatonica league was the perfect opportunity for the Vikings to get some work in. Doetch explained, “The Pec league is perfect for our program to participate in. The competition is great and it gives our team a chance to gel season to season, which leads to where our program is currently.”
This summer, the Vikings had a lot of self-identifying to do. Doetch spoke about how the team is going through major roster turnover and has a lot to learn about themselves.
“We lost a core group that has played together for a long time. We have a mix of seniors and young players,” Doetch said.
The Vikings’ only returning starter is Chris Doetch. Quinn Danner and JJ Ford also return after being the first guys off the bench, last season.
“We are in the process of gelling and getting to know each other on the court.” Doetch added.
While Doetch has stressed the importance of offseason basketball work, she also understands the importance of other sports, and commends the multi-sport athletes in the area.
“Our athletes are all multiple sport athletes, which the Pec league is full of. So as coaches, we know these kids also have football and baseball, on top of preparing for our 2023-2024 season,” Doetch said.
During the week, the Vikings were at camp, focusing on the little things. Doetch said the main goal of camp was for the team to get a chance to learn their system.
One of the biggest benefits of the offseason work has been the opportunity for new players to step up and prove themselves.
“We have several players stepping up as leaders on and off the court with workouts.” Doetch shared, adding, “JJ Ford has stepped up as our point guard, filling big shoes. He gets to the rim on any given possession.”
On Chris Doetch, the Vikings’ head coach said, “He is strong in the paint and one of our best rebounders and defensive players.”
Danner is expected to spread the offense, as Doetch called him, “our program’s best outside threat.”
Doetch also mentioned the excitement for developing a couple of other players.
“Sophomore, Azrieal Dixon, is getting more confidence getting to the rim, and is a threat outside. He is going to be fun to watch develop. Mario Ovalle starts or comes off the bench as another defensive threat, he is tough to get by,” Doetch explained.
For the Vikings, their ultimate turnaround could be more than a year away. The 2023-2024 basketball season isn’t right around the corner, but it will be here before we all know it. The Vikings and Doetch will need to continue putting in the work if they want to finish above 500 in 2024.
