Basketball season kicks off

Sonja Karp
NLJ Sports Reporter
 
Get excited basketball fans because the Dogies and Lady Dogies are set to unofficially tip off their 2018-2019 hoops season this Saturday with the annual Meet the Dogies scrimmage.
The scrimmage gives Dogie fans a little sneak peek at what each team brings to the court before the season gets underway with competition. Though in the past it has been just the varsity teams who make their debut, this year the Dogies’ junior varsity squad is getting in on the action.
The Dogies will take the court first with warm-ups from 6-6:10, followed by JV action from 6:10-6:25. The Lady Dogies will then warm up with their scrimmage to follow from 6:35-6:50, and the men’s varsity squad will finish up team action with their scrimmage from 6:55-7:20.
The night will conclude with the 3-point shooting and team shooting competition between the ladies and the men.
Chad Ostenson is beginning his first year as head coach of the Lady Dogies and has 19 players out this season, eight of whom are freshmen. 
As of last week, the ladies were not planning on doing the preseason scrimmage due to low numbers, but there has been a change in plans.
“The girls wanted to get in one more practice, and for the seniors it will be their last chance to take part in the fun, so I understand where they’re coming from,” Ostenson began. “We’re going to have to run 5-on-5 because of prior obligations by a player or two, but we may pull up a couple of freshmen so we have some subs.”
Fans can expect to see seniors Lexus Voelker, Makenzie Wagoner, Kaylee Sweet and Lauren Steveson take the court. Sara Sweet and Avery Alicehouse will represent the junior class while sophomores Mercedes Voelker, Claire Beastrom and Isabel Frank as well as freshman Shawnee Miles will round out the starting ten players. 
For the Dogies, head coach Allen Von Eye has identified his JV and varsity team members. The junior varsity will pit the Black team of Landon Engle, Gunner Ramsey, Dayton McFarlin, Cooper Deveraux, Dacota Earnest, Gavin Gray and Killian Gorman against the White team of Dillon Kenney, Payton Parks, Zach Purviance, Kayne Hinshaw, Peyton Tystad, Christian Santos and Bradyn Frye. 
The Black team for the varsity consists of Landon Engle, Kyle Haslam, Cooper Deveraux, Cade Ostenson, Isaac Prell, Gavin Roady and Isaiah Covey while the White team’s roster includes Isaiah Brooks, Dylan Talley, Dylon Tidyman, Peyton Tystad, Bradyn Frye, Christian Santos and Sawyer Roberson.
“We are bumping it up a little bit this year because we have so many guys out. We’re going to include both the varsity and the JV so we can get those guys some time up and down the court to get some of those nerves out before we start playing,” Von Eye explained. “I think it’s such a fun event, so the more guys we can include gives them the opportunity to put on the uniform and get to have some time in front of the fans in the Dome.”
Von Eye and Ostenson are asking for donations of non-perishable food items to Fill the Box as an entry fee for the event, with the proceeds going to FBLA’s Totes of Hope project.