The depth chart is shifting for the Mexico boys after their recent seniors graduated.
The Bulldogs played in Higbee Shootout games at Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly on June 17 …
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The depth chart is shifting for the Mexico boys after their recent seniors graduated.
The Bulldogs played in Higbee Shootout games at Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly on June 17 for their second slate of the games last week. They defeated Clopton, Knob Noster and Higbee.
Much of last year’s junior varsity Bulldogs have played ample minutes this summer as the team figures out roles for the upcoming roster.
“They’ve gotten a lot better,” head coach Darren Pappas said. “We’re still coaching a lot of effort and still coaching a lot of detail-oriented things on the defensive side, like making sure when we’re on the weak side that we’re getting to the midline and not hugging our man. We’re making sure we’re playing team-oriented defense, and offensively, we’ve got to move the basketball and space the floor a little bit better.”
Junior varsity started last season 12-0 and finished the season 17-3. It is the best Mexico JV record since 16-1 during the 2022-23 season.
Pappas said many will be varsity this season for the first time and need to adjust to that level. He is confident they can do it as they have plenty of basketball experience prior to this year. It is just a matter of finding the best spots and rotations for them.
“They’ve been playing a lot of basketball in their lives,” Pappas said. “Taking that jump from freshman to JV and from JV to varsity is a lot different style of basketball — the physicality, it’s a lot faster, better coaches and you’re going to see anything on any given night. The summertime is that time to see that growth and that time to evaluate guys.”
On June 15, Pappas said Mexico won all three games in the Montgomery County Invitational. He said they scored in transition well against Louisiana, they executed well down the stretch against a physical Silex, and they moved the ball well against a deep North Callaway team.
