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Charleston Bluejays set to reload for another playoff push
CHARLESTON -- As the adage goes, the Charleston Bluejays never seem to rebuild, they just reload.
This perception is backed up by the fact that despite losing a slew of seniors the Bluejays entered the 2013-14 season ranked fifth in the MBCA/MOsports.com preseason poll.
After coming just one win short of their third straight trip to the Class 3 final four the Bluejays will rely on a much younger squad than years past as they pursue their second state championship in three years.
"That how we think," Charleston head coach Danny Farmer said of a deep playoff push. "We just want to keep getting better and be able to compete. We have a big task in our conference tournament, conference games and the Riverbend. We're going to get tested along the way and we just hope to keep getting better and better from each test."
After a trip to last year's quarterfinals, where they fell to eventual state champion Madison Prep, the Bluejays lose the better portion of a roster that finished last season 27-4.
Gone is all-state selection Ryan Parham along with Michael Hull, Darrion Carter, Sumner Foster and Trey Watkins. All five played a big part in last years run along with Charleston's 2012 state title.
In Parham the Bluejays lose their ball handler who averaged 9.4 points-per-game to go along with 5.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 steals. Hull was the team's leading scorer before getting injured midseason, with 17.2 points-per-game, while Carter was second on the team with 13.1 points-per-game and 6.3 rebounds.
Foster represents the third senior Charleston loses who averaged double-digit points with 12.2 points and 5.1 rebounds-per-game last year.
All totaled that's 51.9 points-per-game the Bluejays lost.
"You can't replace them," Farmer said of his graduated seniors. "You come with another team and it will probably be a different style of team. Our strong point probably won't be the same as last year. We'll have to look for our strong point in other areas.
"I'm returning about three people with some good varsity experience in the two Bogans, Delfincko and Robert, and Shandor Webster."
Delfincko Bogan comes back for his junior year as the team's leading retuning scorer last year with 10.9 points-per-game to go along 2.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and three steals.
Robert Bogan and Webster, both seniors, also saw considerable time at the varsity level last season. They'll be joined senior Michael Kellum as those retuning with plenty of varsity experience.
They'll be joined by such new comers as seniors Timontrail Horton and Demontrail Clark, who has experience at the junior high level, but hasn't played since.
As for who is going to step up and take Parham's role of primary ball handler, Farmer said Delfincko is more than capable.
"He'll step up and take that role," Farmer said. "He's a junior this year who has some experience. He played a lot of AAU ball during the summer and he's much improved."
Charleston will kick off it's season like it has so many others, at the Riverbend Classic Shootout at New Madrid County Central.
They'll play West Memphis, Ark., Friday in their season opener before playing Covington, Tenn., on Saturday. Both games will take place at NMCC High School at 5 p.m.
While his team may take awhile to gel into their roles, Farmer feels confident they have the talent for another deep playoff push.
"We're going to have to play the way we practice," Farmer said. "We're going to have to learn things and then go out and execute and believe and stick with our game plan. I think if we can stick to our game plan night in and night out we can be very competitive."