Veteran coach Blake Ecker likes what he sees heading into the 2024-25 boys basketball season at Philomath High School.
With two returning starters, newfound depth and what the coach describes as a more basketball-savvy group, the Warriors have their sights set high — including a potential league championship.
“I think we can be a little bit smarter than we have been in the past,” Ecker said. “We have guys that have played a little more basketball and so they are more educated than what we’ve had the last couple of years.”
Philomath brings back two starters from last season’s 13-11 ballclub — brothers Josiah and Jamin Peters — and adds several players who took significant developmental steps over the summer.
Senior Josiah Peters will be a multifaceted presence for the Warriors this season.
“He’s going to be a Swiss army knife kind of guy where we can put him in spots — in the post, at the point, a little bit wing,” Ecker said. “He’s very versatile so we’re going to try to take advantage of his situation there.”
Junior Jamin Peters provides the Warriors with size and power in the paint.
“We’ve got some size inside with Jamin Peters,” Ecker said. “He’s a big bull, he’s a load. He had a really good summer and so I was really happy for him in there. He’s always smiling and has a great positive attitude.”
Junior Hammish McConnell, who Ecker said could be close to 6-foot-4, is poised for a breakout season.
“He’s super athletic, really, really athletic,” Ecker said. “He just wasn’t ready at all last year.”
The Warriors will also rely on two talented sophomores. Cole Barron brings good height at around 6-4, while Dreyton Nuño offers playmaking abilities at the point guard position. Junior Lucas Lewetag is another player to watch at guard, and junior forward Esias Sapp returns with varsity experience.
“We have guys back that are pretty good and I’m excited about the opportunities that we have going forward,” Ecker said. “I think we’re a top 10 team with our depth.”
Guard Ace Gerding joins Josiah Peters as the only other senior on the roster. Junior Kaden Howard, sophomore Nathan Seits and junior Lane Bettencourt are others expected to see action.
Two freshmen will also get varsity opportunities — Isaiah Hood and Hudson Jones.
“Isaiah, he’s a talented kid,” Ecker said. “He played last summer for us and he struggled a little bit but I think he’s doing better in practice right now.”
Of Jones, Ecker said, “He’s about 6-4, 6-5, long arms, lanky, goes up and dunks.”
The program has 21 students participating in all, which has limited the team’s depth somewhat.
“We’ve been short in numbers — that’s our biggest thing,” Ecker said.
Still, Ecker sees promise not just for this season but beyond.
“It’s a good group and then we have good groups coming up in the middle school level,” Ecker said.
For the Warriors to reach their potential, defense will be the key.
“We just need to compete, get out there and work hard — and I think we’ll do that,” Ecker said. “We have to play at a consistent basis on defense. Some of our struggles are with a couple of guys who are not there yet on the defensive end, but we’ll get there.”
Ecker believes the pieces are in place for a special season, particularly with league favorite Cascade losing key players from recent years.
“I think we can win league — we haven’t won it for three or four years now,” Ecker said. “Cascade’s not going to have those guys they’ve had in the past and so if we can knuckle down and work on the defensive end … and then have some success going inside out, we can win some games.”
The coaching staff includes assistant coaches Aaron Schermerhorn, Carlos Nuño and Trey Ecker. Trey Ecker will serve as the junior varsity head coach, though the program does not have enough players to support a JV2 team this year.
Philomath will get its first taste of competition Wednesday in a jamboree at Santiam Christian with scrimmages against Corvallis (5:25 p.m.), South Albany (6:15 p.m.) and the host Eagles (6:40 p.m.).
The regular season opens the following evening at 7 with a home game against Crescent Valley. The Warriors will play their first four regular-season games at home — CV, Marist Catholic, West Albany and South Albany.
Philomath will participate in the Les Schwab South Coast Tournament at Coos Bay from Dec. 18-20. Conference play opens for Philomath on Jan. 20 at home against Sweet Home.
“I think that we could have a good year,” Ecker said. “The league’s down a little bit … I think we have enough talent and we’re deep enough that we can make a splash.”