Hawks look to continue to soar under Wallace
For the Enquirer
Coach: Samuel Wallace (first season at Danville and ninth overall) First game: Nov. 7 vs. Priceville Area: Class 4A Area 13 Area opponents: East Lawrence, Good Hope, West Morgan 2023-24 record/finish: 21-10; Class 3A Northwest Regional Final Roster: Seniors Ronald Clark, Cameron Dolberry, Sedric Guerin, Carter Johnson, Mason Jones, Connor Lancaster, Steve Williams; juniors Avery Arnold, Ragan Ward-Roberts; sophomores Kaden Franklin, Ashton Holt, Jonah Sparks Returning starters: 3 – Ty Bailey, Makih Boyd, Ben Ellenburg Storylines: Samuel Wallace is entering his first season as head coach of the Danville Hawks. He is replacing Ben Mastin, who is now at Decatur. The Hawks are coming off a 21-10 season that saw them advance to the 3A Northwest Regional Final. Bailey, Boyd, and Ellenburg return as starters, while Barrett, Cordova, Glenn, Maxwell, and Muhammed return to the varsity team.
Who do you expect to have a big year? We expect big things out of Ty Bailey and Mikah Boyd. Both were starters last year. Both have worked extremely hard in the offseason. Both are leaders on our team. We expect big things out of all of our players. It takes a team to accomplish greatness. We will need everyone to do their best individually for our team to succeed.
Quoting coach: “We are excited for this team. We are trying to build on what Coach Mastin and Coach Ellis have built here. There is a great foundation. Our kids are competitive and want to continue building a successful basketball program. Our biggest strength is the closeness of this group. They care about one another and want to see each other succeed.” What do the Hawks need to do to be successful? “We have to be the hardest-playing team in the gym every night and the most cohesive team. X’s and O’s will take care of themselves if we do those two things.” Area outlook: “The area will be very competitive. Good Hope, West Morgan and East Lawrence all have good basketball traditions, so we know that each night out will be challenging. The two teams that advance out of the area tournament will have a chance to make a run. All three teams are very well coached, will play extremely hard, and will be tough to beat. We know if we don’t bring it night in and night out in our area games, they will be difficult to win.”
