SORSN: The Waves have now won 4 in a row and looking at the next couple of games, could easily be on a 6 game winning streak when Coalfield comes South of the River for the first meeting of the season on Dec 15. When this years schedule came out, what games did you look at as being those must win games?
Austin: Yea we are playing pretty well and it would be big to be on a six game winning streak when Coalfield comes to town. Well we have to get the KTOGS (Kings Academy, TSD, Oakdale, Grace Christian, and Sunbright) Greenback, Coalfield and Monterey. Coach Ruffner always says you have to beat the teams that you are supposed to beat.
SORSN: Are you happy with how the team is currently playing? In your opinion, what is the team’s biggest weakness?
Austin: Well, I’m happy that we are winning, but we really need to play a lot better. We need to have a bigger post presence. During the game us guards need to work the ball inside more often. We are also too impatient on offense.
SORSN: How good are you at doing “step-drags”? What’s your least favorite drill in practice? Who talks the most trash in practice and on the floor during games?
Austin: I think that I’m pretty good at my “stepdrags”!! My least favorite drill is defensive slides for sure!!!! Zig zagging up and down the court wares me out and it makes your thighs feel the burn. Woody probably talks the most trash, but if he gets too cocky I guard him and show him who the man is.
SORSN: Who’s the biggest Midway Maniac? Are the Maniacs high on Mello-Yello and Skittles?
Austin: The biggest maniacs are Alex Norman and Tanner Roberson. The maniacs are definitely high on something. It might be those new Vault’s in the Coke machines but Coach Ruffner thinks that they are smoking pot.
(Given how rowdy they are, I would say the Vault Energy Drink is to blame. Now if they were setting in the corner staring at the walls and eating Cheetoh’s, then I would go with the smoking pot theory.)
SORSN: Let’s look ahead to the Coalfield game – what do you predict will be Coach Ruffner’s “Keys to Win” that he writes on the chalkboard?
Austin:
Play Hard
Free-throw block out (box up then in)
D-up
Value every possession