Mansfield / Waterville Winter Sports Preview

WATERVILLE – The Shockers varsity boys basketball team opened its 2018-19 season with losses to Entiat and Brewster before posting its first win on the road at Republic, 44-23, last Saturday, Dec. 1.

Waterville-Mansfield gave Entiat all it could handle, coming within four points of the Tigers, 55-51 at the buzzer on its Nov. 27 season opener. The Shockers next faced defending Central Washington 2B champion and state fourth-place finisher Brewster on Nov. 30 and had to fight back from a 50-7 halftime to a 75-23 final.

The Shockers lost seven seniors, more than half of its varsity squad and its best scorers and rebounders, to graduation last June. Four varsity veterans from last year’s team – seniors Kayden Browning, Kyler Borden, Angel Lucero, and TJ Moser – joined four veterans from last season’s junior varsity – seniors Jayden Hope and Travis Prey, sophomores Kody Angus, and Evan Simmons – to form the nucleus of this year’s roster. Rounding out the varsity is senior Anthony Ochoa and juniors Payton Mulanax and Mauricio Negrete.

Waterville-Mansfield qualified for post season play last February and made it to the second round of District 5/6 before being eliminated by Lake Roosevelt. The team ended the season with a 7-9 league record and 11-12 overall.

The Shockers were scheduled to host Liberty Bell, Tuesday, Dec. 4, followed by Cascade on Friday, Dec. 7, and Manson next Tuesday, Dec. 11.
Head coach Heath Jordan is back this year assisted by Derek Browning.