Veterans Return For Eagles

Sat., Nov. 28, 1998

By Mike Vlahovich mikev@spokesman.com (509) 927-2180

Virtually the entire West Valley boys basketball team returns, including six players who last year provided the bulk of the Eagle offense.

None will be more pivotal than Eric Deno, a talented but troubled youngster who averaged nearly 12 points per game last year.

Deno didn’t make it through football, but has been focused so far in his favorite sport.

“Eric needs sports. He gets a lot out of them,” says first-year coach Jamie Nilles. “With him we’ll be really good.”

Deno was WV’s second-leading scorer last year behind 6-foot-3 Brad Groh’s 16 point average. They give WV a formidable perimeter duo.

“Eric’s a better shooter than last year,” said Nilles. “I think Brad going to the hole might be his strong suit.”

But they aren’t WV’s only weapons. Junior point guard Kris Sly, 6-4 Chris Gregg, who averaged nearly 10 points a game, active lefty Ryan Browning and post Ryan Spivey all started or played substantially.

So did 6-3 Chris Sorenson until injury cost him the last half of the season. Also returned are 6-3 Kevin Lybarger and juniors Tony Kopp and John Focht.

Plus, the Eagles have an additional weapon, Nick Fusare, a 6-foot-9, “maybe taller,” senior whom Nilles calls “The House.”

Fusare is just learning the game but has made huge strides since last year’s C-squad season.

“He’ll play college ball somewhere,” Nilles predicts.

Rounding out the team is sophomore Lance Pecht.

WV will score points with any team. Improved defense, particularly man-to-man, is Nilles’s goal.

“Last year the kids played hard, but against teams with better talent they couldn’t get over the hump,” the new coach said. “The thing I’d like to see happen is us finding a way to win against teams bigger and better than us.”

There may be few of those around.

WV BOYS 1998-99 basketball schedule Dec. 4: Shadle Park at WV, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6: Rogers at WV, 7:45 Dec. 11: Sandpoint at WV, 6 Dec. 12: WV at Moscow, 6 Dec. 15: Lewiston at WV, 6 Dec. 18: Lake City at WV, 6 Dec. 30: WV at Coeur d’Alene, 6 Jan. 8: Post Falls at WV, 6 Jan. 9: Coeur d’Alene at WV, 7:45 Jan. 15: Moscow at WV, 7:45 Jan. 16: WV at Sandpoint, 7:45 Jan. 21: WV at Lewiston, 7 Jan. 23: WV at Lake City, 7:45 Jan. 29: WV at East Valley, 7:45 Jan. 30: WV at Post Falls, 7:45 Feb 2: Cheney at WV, 6 Feb. 5: Clarkston at WV, 6 Feb. 11: East Valley at WV, 6 Feb. 19: WV at Cheney, 7:45 Feb. 20: WV at Clarkston, 7:45

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