By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
For a second consecutive season, the Chapman boys basketball team has been hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, and combined with a lack of varsity experience the team has stumbled out to an 0-15 start in 2021-22.
The Irish have found themselves short-staffed a number of times this season, holding varsity practices with as few as seven available players, suiting up just nine at their midseason tournament, and requiring big minutes from several JV players already.
Despite these struggles, the team has managed to keep a positive outlook and has found ways to grow through adversity.
“They come to work every day and they have a good attitude,” Chapman head coach Drew Gruver said. “We’re improving and they keep fighting. When you’re 0-14 sometimes the attitude can go south but that hasn’t happened here.”
Finally back at full strength, the Irish have looked much better in their last few games, keeping things interesting late into the fourth quarter with Holton and Clay Center.
“We’re a young team and we’re taking our lumps right now, but we’re finally fully healthy and we’ve had our chances in the last few games,” Gruver said. “We’ve been playing a lot better since then.”
The Irish have used 13 different players on varsity this season, the best of whom have been Cam Liebau and Torin Cavanaugh who combine to average 18 points per game.
Chapman has also gotten a boost from a talented sophomore class, with guys like Ian Suther and Gage Picking stepping up to play big minutes this year.
With experience, comes confidence, and that has allowed Chapman to take better care of the basketball in recent games, something they struggled with to start the season.
“We have to take care of the basketball,” Gruver said. “Fundamentally we make some bad passes and costly mistakes. We have to do a better job of handling defensive pressure and we have to finish plays on both sides.”
The road ahead won’t be any easier for the Irish, who will take on 11-3 Southeast of Saline, 8-5 Wamego, and #7 Abilene from Class 4A before sub-state in early March.
That meeting with SES will take place on Friday night as Chapman sets out after their first win and a major upset in Gypsum.
For more coverage of both Chapman basketball teams in 2022 stay tuned to the Salina Post.