By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Chip Kueffer enters year three at the helm of the Cair Paravel Latin boys basketball team, with the Lions coming off a 10-11 record last year.
Chip Kueffer has high hopes for his Cair Paravel boys basketball team in his third year as the Lions' head coach. [File photo/TSN]
Despite that record, it’s a new year and Kueffer said it doesn’t matter what other teams may think about Cair Paravel, whether that’s their record or where they finish in the conference. Kueffer isn’t worried about that.
“We have to over-achieve,'' Kueffer said. "Anytime in life if you’re up for something, you want to over-achieve. You don’t want to finish where people expect you to finish, you don’t want to perform the way people expect you to, you want to exceed expectations. We need to have the mindset every night that we’re going to play better and put up a better performance than people are expecting from us.”
The Flint Hills League is nothing to sneeze at in Class 2A boys basketball, whether teams make it to sub-state title games or the state tournament. Kueffer said he likes the Lions' chances this year because of the team's depth.
“I got eight guys that I would consider starters,'' Kueffer said. "We just have to make sure when we’re out there, we have to be going 100 percent. They can play until they’re tired and we can get fresh legs in there when needed, too.
“We’re blessed to have three senior captains this year between Caleb Cleverdon, Lucas Marichal and Drew Fay, who will be leading the charge this year. I think everybody is ready to play together and this team compliments each other really well.''
Graduated seniors Jase Pavlik and Ben Roeder were two big cogs on last season’s squad, so there will be some big shoes to fill. But Kueffer knows they left their mark to help this year's team pick up the slack.
“I think everyone leads differently and everyone is coached differently,” Kueffer said. “Those guys saw exactly what it should look like and I think they’re well equipped to be able to step into that. There’s some big shoes to fill but I know that they can do it, they’re built for it.”
Cleverdon said this year's team is really focusing on toughness and making that their identity, especially on the defensive side of the ball and being able to last all four quarters.
Lucas Marichal is a top senior returner for Cair Paravel boys basketball. [File photo/TSN]
Cleverdon said last year’s season was mediocre, that the Lions under-achieved, and that the goal for this year is set high.
“We have our eyes on the state tournament and we’re not going to stop until we get there,'' Cleverdon said. "We plan on playing every game hard, playing like it's our last because especially as seniors, we understand that not every game is given so we’re going to play with that same mentality that nothing is given and that we’re going to go out there and earn everything.”
“We’re really excited about the guys that we have. I think they’re going to lead us a long way this year and we’re excited about that.''
