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Jason Ferguson

Published: Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

These aren’t your father’s Custer Wildcats. Gone is the size. In are the jets. Wildcat fans accustomed to seeing 6-6 and 6-7 centers patrolling the paint for Custer will see a stark contrast when the ’Cats take the floor this year. Gone are the likes of Isaac Parsons, Tyler Custis, Paige Paulsen, Joel Tucker and Jay Steele, replaced by shorter and faster players that will come at their opponents in waves. Whether or not the Wildcats can actually run an opponent to death remains to be seen. You can count on them trying, however. “If we can rebound, we can run,” head coach Larry Luitjens said. “We will have the type of quickness and depth to put full court pressure on.” Luitjens, the State of South Dakota’s all-time wins leader for high school coaches, enters his 34th year as head coach for the Wildcats. His starting lineup will feature two players over six feet tall. Its tallest will be Darin Smith, who is pushing 6-2. “If there is something you are worried about, it’s size,” Luitjens said. “We definitely don’t have a 6-6 kid controlling the inside.” The team lost Jared Foote, Doug Sirois and Isaac Parsons from last year’s team that finished 18-4, losing twice each to St. Thomas More and Red Cloud. However, the team returns a bevy from experience a year ago, led by seniors Jake Roddy (6-0, G), Shea Koch (6-2 F) and Darin Smith, all of whom started at some point last year. The starting five also figures to feature sophomore Luke Roddy (6-0 G), who saw significant playing time a year ago as a freshman. Rounding out those who return include seniors Casey Whitney (5-9, G) and Harvey Fitzgerald (6-3, F) and juniors Jordan Konkol (5-8, G) and Travis March (6-0, G). Among some of the other players Luitjens is excited about are senior Justin Dillon (5-11 G), a Hermosa resident who transferred to Custer from Rapid City Central this season. Garet Tucker (6-7 C), Brandon Miller (6-3 F), Brandon Smith (6-0 G) and TJ Stover (5-7 G) are also expected to see playing time. “We have a hard working group, and quite a few kids who can play some basketball,” Luitjens said. “I think we have a lot better practices because of the number of good kids we have.” As has been the case in recent memory, St. Thomas More figures to be involved heavily in the race for the Black Hills Conference title, as does Lead-Deadwood. Luitjens believes if things come together for his team, they can be in the thick of things in the conference race as well. “We can compete with anybody,” he said. “I think we’re going to surprise a few people, and that’s kind of fun.” Wildcat fans can rest assured they are going to be running up and down the floor 84 feet for 32 minutes to make sure that happens. “With our defense, I think we can get some easy baskets. We have more overall athleticism than we have had in quite a while,” Luitjens said. “I love coaching this way, but you don’t always have the opportunity to do it. Our five kids who will start, I don’t think anybody has five quicker kids.”