Coming off a 12-0 season in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference (KMAC) play and a 17-8 overall record, the Fredericktown boys’ basketball team has high hopes for the 2023-2024 campaign but it won’t be easy with only one returning starter in Trevor Bellman coming back.
“Our goal this year is to get better each and every day, as a team, as individuals, as teammates,” said Coach Derek Dibling, who was last year’s KMAC coach of the year. “We add a bunch of new guys into the mix: Grant Hartley, Will Streby, Bradyn Clevenger, Gavin Toombs, Blake Sipes, Brode Davis, Carson Rinehart.”
Bellman was All-KMAC honorable mention and is coming off a year where he averaged 5.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and shot 39.7% from three point range. The 5’10” senior will be relied on for production across the board, in what is an otherwise young group.
The team loses a pair of first team All-KMAC players, Brady Lester and Kaid Carpenter, as well as second teamers Teegan Ruhl and Luke Bean, and Ben Mast who was honorable mention.
Dibling said the team is full of hungry players, who have been coachable and trying to buy into the team philosophy. However, there is a lack of experience they will need to overcome.
“Still looking for guys who can take on leadership responsibilities and really be ‘difference makers’ for us,” Dibling said. “We need guys who are going to be force multipliers and elevate the guys around them.”
Dibling is in his 18th year of coaching, and the eight season as the head coach of Fredericktown with a 92-73 record. He said his strategy has always been to play the strengths of their players, playing advantage basketball and putting their players in sports where they can be most productive.
The team has a slogan of “Championship Habits Everyday”, saying that it is the idea that they strive for championships, the highest level of success and do it by creating good habits each day that put them in a position to be successful.
“We hope this approach follows them as they make their mark in life,” Dibling said.
Dibling sees KMAC as being a competitive year from top to bottom, and said every league game is an important one. The first conference matchup is against Cardington-Lincoln on Dec. 15 on the road.
The Freddies start their season on the road against Crestview on Dec. 5 with a 6 p.m. start, and their first home game is against Horizon Science Academy on Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.
