Bulldogs eager to defend conference crown
Last season was historic for the Waterloo High School boys basketball team. It marked the first time the program won a Mississippi Valley Conference crown — its first conference title since 1981 in the Cahokia Conference days. This year’s team is hoping history repeats itself, and more.
Lost to graduation are last season’s top two scorers, Shane Lenhardt and Zach Schaab. So, Bulldogs head coach CJ Cruser will look to eight seniors to defend the MVC title, led by returning starters Rick Wiegand (7.3 points per game last season) and Ryan Aycock (6.2 points per game).
The 2014-15 Waterloo High School boys basketball team is, from left, front row, Bradley Lathrop, Rick Wiegand, Troy Aldridge and Ryan Aycock; and back row: Coach CJ Cruser, Daniel Bicklein, Lance Mueller, Sam Dodd, Max Schrader and Coach Patrick McEvilly. (Robyn Dexter photo)“They will be relied on heavily for their leadership, experience and scoring,” Cruser said.
Wiegand scored 23 points in the team’s season-opening loss to Althoff at the Highland tournament.
Also starting for the ‘Dogs are Max Schrader and Lance Mueller, who each “had really good summers and have grown for us,” Cruser said. At 6-foot-4, Mueller should provide some much needed height under the basket. He earned all-state honors in cross country this fall.
Sam Dodd is the fifth starter for the ‘Dogs. The 6-foot-2 senior has some varsity experience, having played in 21 games last season. Dodd pulled down nine rebounds in the season opener.
“He was injured this summer, so he was unable to play. But he has also grown and had a very good football season. We are hoping that will carry over into basketball,” Cruser said.
Daniel Bicklein, Brad Lathrop and Troy Aldridge round out the seniors, and the varsity squad, for now.
“My seniors have put the time in and played a lot of basketball in the offseason,” Cruser said. “They will get first crack at the majority of the playing time.”
Cruser said he feels this group can mesh together and have success this year.
“We are looking at trying to defend the banner that we finally got to put up last year in our gym for a much-needed conference title,” he said. “We know how great it feels and we are really striving to add to the banner and keep that 2015 off everyone else’s banner.”
Other goals this season, according to Cruser, are to win a third straight Sparta tourney title and advance to a regional title game.
“Winning a regional will never happen if we can’t get to the title game, which we have not done since the four-class system has begun,” Cruser said. “We want to continue to build a winning program here by winning as many games as we can.
Eventually, even more success will come our way with winning.”
