Hoops season is right around the corner at DHS, and the Charger boys basketball squad has been getting ready to get their season underway.
The program has held workouts throughout the fall, prepping the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity level teams. Junior point guard and leading scorer on the JV team last year Danny Safadi, enjoys the workouts. He thinks that the workouts help him not only develop his skills individually, but also help the team get much needed reps before the season starts, along with helping to build chemistry among teammates.
“Going to preseason training, getting in work as a team and individually working on our skills gives ourselves the best chance come the season time,” Safadi said.
Like every program, there may be things that the basketball program thrives in and struggles in.. But one thing the Chargers have focused on is knowing and understanding the ins and outs of the game.
Coach Mark Dickerson, who has been the varsity basketball coach at DHS for the past 7 seasons, has been teaching his offense to all levels of the basketball program during preseason practices, sharpening the players’ minds, and getting them properly ready for the upcoming season.
But while this Charger squad excels in IQ, their competitive spirit is a key part of the team. Every player shows up amped to get on the court and play, regardless of the opponent, team record, or score of the game.
This year’s team may face some challenges however. While this team is an experienced group of players, they will be facing a lot of tough competition throughout the season.
“There’s some pretty tough teams we go up against,” Safadi said. “It’s gonna be a challenge to play against them, but we play strong together and always give it our best effort.”
One of the toughest matchups they will face, is against Grand Blanc, the Division 1 reigning state champions. While they are missing their former star player, senior Ty Rodgers, who transferred to a high school in Illinois this fall, the Chargers will have their toughest matchup this year against Grand Blanc.
The leading scorer and a key player for the Chargers last year was junior point guard, Nick Bond. A then sophomore, he was one of the younger faces on the team, but was easily the team’s best shooter. Leading the team in three-point field goal attempts, and three-point field goals made, Bond was the Charger’s go-to man from beyond the arc and will most likely continue to be this upcoming season.
One of the key takeaways of the varsity team this year is the experience that the players have. There are numerous returning seniors on the team, but also a few returning juniors on the team, including Bond, and the left-handed forward, Jacob Ahn.
One of the biggest veteran impacts on the team this year is projected starting center, senior Nolan Fisher. A crafty post player who dominated in the paint last season, Fisher will lead the Chargers down low this year, and is projected to be one of the team’s most prominent senior leaders.
While the Charger’s offense is usually very guard dominant every year, Fisher at center is a big part of the offense. Dickerson uses his height to the team’s advantage, grabbing plenty of boards off the glass, but also creating plays with the guards. They can feed the paint to him, kick it out for three, or use him off screens. Fisher is a versatile part of the offense, especially since the team lacks post players.
For the next few weeks, all three teams, freshman, JV, and varsity, will be working hard every day at practice in preparation for the season’s start.
This year’s first game will be on Dec. 8, at Bay City Central. The team’s home opener however, will be a big time matchup, and is expected to draw a big turnout.
On Dec. 17, the Chargers will host the rival MHS Chemics, for their first game in front of the DHS crowd.
While the scoreboard might not always show it, nor the record at the end of the season, memories made while playing basketball at this level often stick with the players for a long time after their high school years.
