Area basketball capsules

Boys

Tucumcari

Last season: 7-17 overall

Coach: John Span

Returning starters: Juniors Jakus Martinez and Dalton Wood; sophomore Travis Garcia

Outlook: The Rattlers have a lot of speed but are lacking in size. Tucumcari has the athletes to run opponents up and down the court.

Quote: “A lot of these guys are in football shape right now and I need to get them into basketball shape,” Span said.

Logan

Last season: 17-10

Coach: Billy Burns

Returning starters: Seniors Truitt Frost and Blake Strack; junior Brandon Rafool

Outlook: Coach Burns feels his team needs to play defense and build up team chemistry.

Quote: “We will play fast when we need to and we will slow it down when we need to,” Burns said.

House/Grady

Last season: 10-15 (House); 11-14 (Grady)

Coach: Jim Kneipp

Returning starters: Seniors Dalton Thomas (Grady), Jarod Allen (Grady) and Bobby Lee (House); junior Dustin Provenico (Grady).

Outlook: The Bronchos will try to press this year to get their running game going. Coach Kneipp sees his team playing up to nine players deep.

Quote: “I think this year we will shoot the ball better,” Kneipp said.

San Jon

Last season: 9-16

Coach: Tommy Thompson

Returning starters: Senior Robbie Garcia

Outlook: First-year coach Thompson has a young team without a lot of experience. One senior and two juniors return for the Coyotes.

Quote: “A lot of the young guys have to come together,” Thompson said.

Girls

Tucumcari

Last season: 3-19 overall

Coach: Gary Hittson

Returning starters: Senior Mariah Meier, junior Laura Fought and sophomore Michelle Fazekas

Outlook: With such a young team the Rattlers will be working on the basics.

Quote: "We will need to be able to play solid fundamental basketball," Hittson said.

San Jon

Last season: 3-16 overall

Coach: Steve Foust

Returning starters: Seniors Morgan Foster, Tracy Foote and junior Chelsey Tillman.

Outlook: Foust said the team lost two starters from last year. However 13 girls have come out for the program. This is Foust second year of coaching and he said the girls are a lot more comfortable with the system he is running.

Quote: “They learned a lot lost year and have brought that back with them," Foust said. "We are looking forward to some tough competition."

Logan

Last season: 6-13 overall

Coach: Claire Rachor

Returning starters: Senior Jessica Aguilera, sophomores Mariah Morrison, Nicole Collins and Katlyn Usrey and freshman Whitney Cordova and Marissa Miller.

Outlook: Rachor said Aguilera is the lone senior and starter from last year. He said the rest of the group is young and learning. Rachor said the team will concentrate on working together as a team.

Quote: “The team needs to strengthen their bonds," Rachor said. "Work together as a team in order to improve."

House

Last season: 0-14 overall

Coach: Lyndel Bonds

Outlook: Bonds said it is a fresh start with two eighth graders stepping up and only three returning players. He said this will be a rebuilding year for the team.

Quote: “ In practice it is looking better every day,” Bonds said. "We are starting from scratch. Everyday we will work on getting better."