Cardinals are in a true rebuilding mode this year

RANDOLPH — A transition to a new coach is just one of the many things the Randolph boys basketball team will face this season.

Long-time assistant Jim Hixson takes over the reins of the program after Mark Anderson stepped away due to health issues.

Hixson inherits a program that went 17-8 a year and qualified for the state tournament in search of a third state title following raising of the crown in 2002 and 2014 – both of which the new coach was on staff for.

Now, the Cardinals will have to overcome some heavy losses from last year’s team.

“We have good numbers out,” Hixson said. “We had exceptional participation in our summer programs even with the difficulties that COVID presented.”

But the Cards lost four fulltime starters as well as an exceptional coach of 30 years.

“We really only have one returning full time starter and two kids that started on a part-time basis,” Hixson said. “We will be relying on several inexperienced players to step up and take a leadership role.”

Hixson notes that the loss of Anderson will also take a toll due to his experience and leadership that was a big part of the Cardinals program over the past 30 years.

Eric Brown steps in as an assistant along with Darrin Nordhues.

“I am also calling on former players Denton Kuhl and Logan Nordhues to step in as voluntary coaches to help with fundamentals and strategy at the varsity level,” Hixson said. “In addition to their role with the Varsity and JV, they do an outstanding job with our elementary program.”

The Cardinals will look to emphasize aspects of the game that they can control as they work with the lineups that figure themselves out with so many new faces on board.

“Defense, rebounding and hustle are what we would like to build our identity on,” Hixson said. “Our schedule in the Lewis and Clark Conference is always an extremely tough one. You need to look no further than the recent success of teams like Osmond and Ponca to know that the Lewis and Clark conference is year in and year out one of the toughest in the state.”

Tristan Mosel, Justin Haselhorst, Sam Korth and Tyson Junck are the returning Cardinals with the most varsity minutes from a year ago.

“It’s a virtual overhaul,” Haselhorst said. “It hasn’t been too bad. Mr. Hixson has us working pretty hard and we will have to give it our best, I guess. He’s been with the program for many years so everyone knows him, and he knows everyone so it’s not that big of a change.”

“We are definitely more defensively focused. He’s a lot harder on it and wants us rebounding more, trying to get blocks and hustling for more balls. It’s a lot more intense.”

Haselhorst said the team will be shorter so there should be a lot of running and outside shooting mixed in with an attack on the rim.

“It will be a lot more guard focused I would say,” Haselhorst said.

The Cardinals athletic program struggled with COVID-19 during both volleyball and football’s seasons and now the test will be to get to the finish line in March with case counts staying high.

“I am guardedly optimistic that we will be able to get the season in,” Hixson said. “Much like football I’m sure we will have some complications due to COVID. We again will emphasize concentrating on the things with which we can control. We will prepare for each and every game like it will be played, and it is an opportunity to improve.

“When you get bogged down in the ‘what ifs’ you tend to lose focus and do not maximize your potential.”

Haselhorst admits he doesn’t want to go through the hoops that the football team did after seeing its last game shelved due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

“It could happen, you never know,” Haselhorst said. “The jamboree got canceled and apparently it’s getting worse in this area. There is always optimism. We went through a phase of everyone getting it and getting over it.

“If everyone minds their Ps and Qs, we should be good. You always dream about your senior year and you want it to go as well as it can.”

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