Countdown to tipoff: Palmyra heads into season with new-look roster, same all-together mentality

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PALMYRA, Mo. — The game of hand soccer at the end of the Palmyra boys basketball team’s practice on Tuesday was not just a chance to goof off before going home.

It served multiple purposes.

The object of the game, which involves two teams with an even number of players both attempting to score and defend their goal, is to slap a dodgeball past the other team’s goalies and hit the wall behind them.

Panthers coach Brian Rea, who also teaches physical education at Palmyra Middle School, brought the game from his PE class to basketball practice to help fuel his team’s competitive fire in a different manner.

“It’s just constant movement, things to get them competitive outside of just basketball, to move and have some fun to end practice,” Rea said.

Rea has his players engage in these sorts of activities — he also has them play a game that involves two basketballs and three baskets, all of which are fair game to score on — as a way of concluding practice in a positive manner.

“Like if things weren’t going right in practice or we didn’t have a great practice, it can finish on a high note,” Rea said. “It doesn’t always have to be a basketball high note. It can be an attitude high note, and I think that helped finish on a better attitude, just having something different at the end.”

By instilling that positive, team-first attitude, Rea hopes this year’s team can replicate the success of last season’s 26-2, district-championship Panthers squad.

“The more we care about each other, care more about each other than ourselves, the better we’re going to be,” Rea said. “That was the best part about last year with those kids, and a lot of these kids were a part of it. We have to get that leadership that made that type of attitude where we care more about each other than ourselves. If we can get that, we’ll be pretty good.”

The graduation of 2023-24 Clarence Cannon Conference and Class 3 District 6 Player of the Year Bear Bock as well as fellow forwards Carson Hicks and Jeremiah Edwards leaves the Panthers with some holes to fill in the post. Tate Hammond is the Panthers’ biggest player at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds.

“He’s physical, he’s a good athlete,” Rea said of Hammond. “He’s just starting to gain his confidence. He can give us a few baskets. It’s just a confidence thing with him offensively. He’s a good defender in the post. He leaps well. He’s strong, and he can get some boards for us. Hopefully we can utilize him against bigger opponents and he can shut some people down.”

The Panthers will also rely on self-proclaimed “hustle guy” and state-qualifying high jumper Luke Sheppard to make his mark on the interior.

“He plays bigger than he is,” Rea said of the 6-foot-2 Sheppard. “He’s a good size kid, but he plays even bigger, so that helps us. He’s got long arms, jumps well. We’re really going to have to utilize him defensively and rebounding wise, especially against teams with bigger guys. I’m looking forward to seeing how he progresses.”

Sheppard said his leaping ability and conditioning during track give him a leg up.

“Definitely being able to get up and down the floor, being conditioned to do that,” Sheppard said of track’s benefits when it comes to basketball. “High jump especially allows me to be able to get up high for those rebounds and get up above the defenders for layups.”

Bear Bock’s younger brother, sophomore Hudson Bock, has progressed from simply a 3-point marksman to an improved defender and finisher around the rim.

“I’m more athletic, better with the ball in my hands,” Hudson Bock said. “I’m not just a 3-point shooter. I can do more than that this year. My defense has improved a little bit.”

With a more guard-heavy lineup and less beef on the block, the Panthers may look a little different defensively. Despite less size, Sheppard still likes the chances this version of Palmyra to come close to, if not equal, the 34.6 points per game that the 2023-24 Panthers surrendered.

“It will be tough because we lose a lot of size without Bear, Carson and Jeremiah,” Sheppard said. “I feel like it will be a different style of defense, but I feel like we’ll still be good on that side of the ball.”

The offense may operate differently, as well.

“We have more guards, quicker guards, more speed,” Hudson Bock said. “More perimeter driving, kicking, shooting, things like that.”

Rea is confident that offense will round into form.

“We have some good shooters, but we’re not shooting the ball really well right now in practice,” Rea said. “That’ll come when we get our legs. Honestly, defense and not turning the ball over is going to be key for us to stay in games until we get our legs.”

The emphasis on defense, rebounding and taking care of the ball will lead to that offense starting to click.

“We never talk about making baskets,” Rea said. “It’s about getting stops and rebounds and not turning the ball over. When we do that, we have a chance to win every game.”

Ironically enough, the attitude it takes to perfect those things can be spurred by a friendly but competitive game of hand soccer.

“It’s going to be all about attitude and effort,” Rea said. “If we take care of that, we have the talent to win. It’s just going to be if we have the right attitude, the right mindset, and the right effort.”