With sectionals beginning this week, the Richfield Springs boys basketball team’s 8-12 record may be a little deceiving to other teams – and those who don’t know much about the Indians – but, even though the Indians lost their regular season finale, 63-58, at Hamilton, head coach Bill Stevens knows his team is ready for sectionals. “We’ve come from where we didn’t know how many games we would win, if any, to where I would feel comfortable taking them against anyone in sectionals,” Stevens said. An 8-12 record doesn’t look great on paper, but you have to look further to know that Richfield Springs started the season 1-8 and has won seven of its last 11 games. You have to look even further to know that eight of the Indians’ 20 games were against Class C or B schools (larger enrollments), and they lost five of those games. Richfield Springs will only play Class D teams in the Section III playoffs. Stevens credits his team’s hard work, dedication and positive attitude with causing the turnaround. “I told them if they hustled and worked hard, they could become very competitive by mid-season. And that happened,” he said. Stevens was worried that if his team lost too many games early in the year, the players would become discouraged and give up on the season. “That almost happened, but the Christmas tournament gave us new life.” The Indians won their own holiday tournament, beating Sharon Springs and Cherry Valley-Springfield behind an MVP performance from Dan Bloomfield, who Stevens praised for playing point guard this year when he had always been a two-guard. Bloomfield has worked well with fellow starters Brian Bruce, Luke Soposki and Nick and Alex Sovocool, creating a chemistry teams strive for. Ryan Wratten, LaMont McNair, Billy Holland and Brad Lindsay have provided quickness off the bench, while Chad Stone has been a workhorse inside. “Every player on the team has contributed in one way or another,” Stevens said. The late season addition of Dave Southard has provided another body inside that can step out and shoot. Southard, the only returning starter, sat out most of the season with a broken arm. “He’s definitely another weapon we have as we approach sectional play,” Stevens said. Aside from the players, Stevens feels the support of the parents have been beneficial to the team’s second half success. “You see it in so many communities, parents can interfere a lot and think they know more than the coaches,” Stevens said. “That can be cancerous to a program.” Stevens said the biggest reason for his team’s turnaround has been the players’ willingness to work for it. “The way they’ve worked and behaved this year is really a lesson a lot of people could learn from.”
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