BAKER — Janavor Weatherspoon says he expects to see Baker School’s boys basketball team improve in his second year at the helm of the program.
“I think when you are first starting a program and moving into a new situation, it usually takes a couple of years to get the program to where you want it,” Weatherspoon said. “My first year, I just laid the foundation. I taught them. I trained them hard. I wanted them to know what I expected of them as a basketball player and as a person.”
This year, he said, "I’m hoping we continue to grow and build off that foundation I put in last year."
Weatherspoon believes in building a team of leaders who can work as a group. Senior leadership won’t be hard to find. Austin Walters and Matt Samuolis are two of the team's more than a half-dozen seniors. Jon Beck, Montae Barto, Bubba Ellis and Austin Fogel — members of Baker’s region champion football team — join them.
“I’m expecting those guys to be good leaders because they played football and won a lot of district championships and stuff,” Weatherspoon said. “I talked to them and I asked them to bring that leadership to basketball.”
Freshman Derek Peoples will handle the point guard position. Jamaal Day, a junior, and Kalee Ciurleo, a sophomore, are other players Weatherspoon expects to have good seasons.
The Gators play in District 3-1A, which is home to defending state champion Chipley.
Weatherspoon said the Tigers will be the team to beat, but after them, anything can happen. “When you look at it from top to bottom, everybody can beat everybody,” he said. “I don’t want to say Chipley or us or Northview. All the teams are pretty good and, on any given night in the district, anybody can lose.
“Who’s on the top? Chipley, because they won the state championship last year. But other than that, things are going to fall where things are going to fall. I can’t say who is the best or the worst.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gators face competitive season, basketball coach says