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Consistency only aspect missing from Frisco’s game
BY ANDREW MAY, Staff Writer
Inconsistency was the only constant for the Frisco boys basketball team last season.
The Raccoons began the 2006-07 campaign by losing nine of ten. They then won 10 of 11 to surge to the top of the District 9-4A standings. That was followed up with a string of six setbacks over the final eight games to miss out on the playoffs for the second-straight season.
“We’ve been talking about that since the day the season ended last year. We realize just how close everything was,” said head coach Eric Green, noting that three of the final losses came in overtime. “We are working hard to make sure we are on the correct end of those scores (this season).”
“The opponent has something to do with that too,” he said, “but we need to be more consistent on offense.”
Despite being the focus of opposing defenses, senior post Casey Cheshier is doing his best to bring stability to the offense. Cheshier, a reigning first team all-district selection, is again leading the Raccoons in scoring and rebounding. His play may just determine how far Frisco can advance in 2008.
“He’s going to have to play well for us to be successful,” Green said. “He is definitely the one that makes us go. We expect big things out of Casey.”
Green calls him one of the top two or three players in the district. Another district coach said he is the only legitimate post in 9-4A. But in a team game, it takes more than a single go-to guy to get the job done. Green believes the weapons around his big man are fully capable of contributing every night out.
“I’m real confident they can,” he said. “A lot of the guys just need experience. We’ve gradually gotten better every game. Hopefully, the trend will continue.”
The offseason focus centered on defensive accountability and trusting teammates. After yielding 70 points to Sherman, the state’s 11th-ranked 4A team, Frisco put the clamps down to hold its next three opponents to an average of 50.3 points per game. The Raccoons are a single basket away from going 3-0 in that stretch.
“We have played pretty well on defense all year,” Green said.
Such was the case Tuesday against Greenville (0-3). Frisco’s defense held Greenville without a field goal for the first 6:30 and kept the Lions to a season-low 45 total points.
The offense wasn’t bad, either. Cheshier poured in 12 points in the first quarter to help Frisco race out to a 23-8 advantage early. Greenville’s Spencer Barrett, who finished with a team-high 21 points, nailed four 3-pointers in the second, but the Lions still limped into the break down 44-24 because of the turnover-forcing Raccoon defense and a late three by Tyler Cutrer.
Cheshier, who is averaging 17.25 points per game, drove the dagger deeper in the third quarter with 13 of his season-high 27 points.
Before Barrett sank three more long balls in the final frame, Cutrer and Cody Cheshier opened up the fourth with easy buckets to extend the lead to 75-34. Cutrer finished the contest with 10 points and is now averaging 7.5 points per game.
The freshman and JV teams also took care of Greenville. Matt Wilson, Javier Amaro and Nick Stradford all hit double figures to lead the JV squad on a late charge to pull off the narrow 50-49 win. The freshmen doubled up the Lions in the fourth quarter to pull out a 67-55 victory.
After completing play in the Frisco Classic this weekend, the Raccoons will host Mesquite Poteet on Tuesday. Following that game, just one tournament and non-district game remain before the Raccoons embark on what Green hopes will be a playoff-worthy district campaign.
“Our district is really even,” he said. “It is going to come down to the same type of things as last year.”
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