Bulldog boys ‘out for redemption’
Three of the four boys basketball teams in last year’s Class 3A Southern League won a championship.
Faith Lutheran won the regular-season crown, Moapa Valley marched through the league tournament unscathed and Boulder City captured the state title.
Unlike the Crusaders, Pirates and Eagles, Virgin Valley was left with a feeling of unfinished business after finishing with a four-game losing streak and a 15-10 record.
“Last year was kind of a letdown, so we’re out for redemption this year,” senior forward Jason Wittwer said. “We felt like we should have at least gotten to the state championship.
“Last year, we’d get down on ourselves. This year, we never give up.”
The Bulldogs haven’t had much reason to get down, either.
Virgin Valley (13-5, 1-0) is ranked No. 1 in the 3A/2A/1A South coaches’ poll heading into its 3A Southern League home game against rival Moapa Valley (8-8, 0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.
“As a team, we felt we were the best in the state last year, and we couldn’t finish,” Bulldogs coach Rich Bohne said. “The overall goal they made from the beginning (this season) is a state championship, and I knew it wasn’t a pipe dream.”
Virgin Valley turned heads during the non-league portion of its schedule with three wins against the first-place teams in the 1A and 2A Southern Leagues, Lake Mead and Lincoln County, respectively.
“It’s definitely a confidence builder,” Bohne said. “That’s the kind of confidence that I think was missing last year.”
Wittwer was a solid contributor last season, averaging 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. But the versatile forward has made a “quantum leap” as a senior, Bohne said.
“He’s been great,” Bohne added. “He can play anywhere from (shooting guard) to post. He’s one of the key reasons we’re where we’re at, his consistency.”
Wittwer, who shoots 54 percent from the floor, leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16 ppg) and steals (2.4 spg), and is second in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and assists (2.2 apg).
The 6-foot-3-inch senior said he expected to take on more of a leadership role when the Bulldogs replaced six seniors from last season’s squad. But his increased workload on the offensive end has been a surprise.
“Last year I was more focused on defense,” he said. “This year, I have to score more for us to win.”
The Bulldogs boast one of the state’s most balanced teams. Cameron Jensen and Austin Cloes also average double figures with 12.9 and 10.3 ppg, respectively, while Zach Horlacher (8.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg) adds a solid inside presence.
“We’ve got five or six guys who contribute every night,” Bohne said. “If you take Jason away, then who are you going to key on? I enjoy coaching a team with that much balance because you can disguise a lot of things.”
Wittwer often carries the load offensively, but he doesn’t mind deferring to teammates, either.
“There’s really not any one person who has to score 30 to win,” he said. “Everyone contributes. If we win, it doesn’t matter who does the scoring.”
