Meet the Team: Fans get first look at 2013-14 BCHS basketball squads

Thu, 11/21/2013 - 1:06pm — John Embry

Basketball fans in Butler County got their first look at the 2013-14 BCHS Bear and Lady Bears on Monday night at Meet The Team Night at Butler County High School. Fans filled the home side bleachers to meet the teams and cheerleaders for the upcoming season, and see the teams go through drills and put on a show for the crowd.

The BCHS cheerleaders were the first squad featured on Monday. Coach Lisa Rhoades presented her team, then the girls put on a exhibition of flips, tumbles, and other feats to fire up the crowd.

Next up were Coach Christy Clark and the BCHS Lady Bears. The Lady Bears will feature seniors Lynsie Clark, Katie Graham, and McKenzie Smith leading an experience squad that returns four starters from last season. Coach Clark talked to the crowd about the rededication of her team, and about the hard work the girls have put in so far in practice. Clark also told the crowd that her team has 14 home games this season, and that it’s time to start getting rowdy and creating a true home court advantage in Butler County.

Finally the BCHS Bears and Coach Calvin Dockery were introduced to the fans. Coach Dockery praised the fans and parents for their role in his teams’ successes last season, and encouraged the crowd to help pack the gym this year for home games. Dockery’s Bears will be led by seniors Trevor Jenkins, Zeke Woodcock, Drew Henderson, and Matt Moore, and transfer senior Bryce Shanklin.

After the introductions Coach Dockery put both squads through a series of drills for the crowd. Players worked on 3, and 5 player fast breaks, layup drills, and shooting, before putting on a three-point shooting exhibition. Shawna West of the Lady Bears stole the show in the three-point shooting display, hitting 7 threes in a row at one point.

Both teams then divided into Blue and White teams for short scrimmages. After the Lady Bears showed off their talents the boys took to the floor, with coaching duties handled by the Bear seniors. The crowd enjoyed seeing Zeke Woodcock channel his father, former coach Greg Woodcock, during the scrimmage as coach of the white team. Woodcock brought the crowd to its feet when he took off his shirt while coaching up his squad, much the way his dad used to do on the sidelines. Not to be outdone Trevor Jenkins was a vocal head coach for the blue team. Jenkins was ejected late in the game by ‘referee’ and coach Barry Frazier for arguing a call.

The Bears and Lady Bears will have a short slate of scrimmage games in the next two weeks ahead of the openers during the first week of December. The Lady Bears will open the regular season at home hosting Hancock County on Monday, Dec. 2nd, with the Bears opening on the road at Ohio County on Friday, Dec. 6th. The home opener for the Bears will be on Monday, Dec. 9th when the Apollo Eagles visit BCHS.

Head coaches Calvin Dockery and Christy Clark will be the special guests on the November 27th edition of the Butler County Sports Jam on AM 1570 WLBQ. Clark and Dockery will join WLBQ sports’ James White to preview the seasons for both teams, and take an in depth look at district matchups and basketball across the 3rd Region. The Sports Jam airs on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. and on Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. on WLBQ 1570 AM and also streams on Beech Tree News at www.beechtreenews.com. Check Beech Tree News next week for complete previews and photos of both teams, as well as full schedules of game action.