After a 4-21 season that ended with a loss in the first round of the 8th District tournament for the 15th consecutive season, the Fort Campbell boys’ basketball team returns with a new face on the sideline and some familiar names on the court.
Kevin Lehde takes over as head coach for the Falcons after Jeff Cherry stepped down after one season, and his first task will be replacing the scoring lost with the graduation of three-sport standout Aidan Blaszkowski. Blaszkowski led the team with over 15 points per contest while knocking down a team-high 51 three-pointers, while guard Daniel Castro leaves a hole as well after posting almost seven points per outing and connecting on 29 shots from behind the arc.
Another three-sport star, Maurice Moore, leads the Falcon returnees. Moore was second on the squad a year ago with just short of 11 points per game and led the team with 6.4 rebounds. Fellow senior Dason Tate returns on the perimeter after averaging six points and draining 20 three-pointers as a junior.
Junior big man John Arnold posted averages of three points and 3.4 rebounds, and freshman Lashaad Smiley returns in the paint after being second on the team with five rebounds per game last season.
Lehde expects to employ a ten-man rotation early on, with scoring help from junior Jamile Wilson and sophomores Tyreek Anthony and EJ Greene.
Fort Campbell will open on Tuesday with a visit from Livingston Central. The Falcons have dropped the last four in the series, including a 54-42 decision last year. District play begins on December 7 with a trip to Hopkinsville to face Heritage Christian Academy, and they’ll open the 2nd Region All ‘A’ Classic against Dawson Springs on January 9.
