Boys basketball: Defense holds the key for experienced Putnam County

With the solid core of talented, experienced players the Putnam County boys basketball program has returning this year, there’s little doubt there will be plenty of points scored each and every time the Panthers step on the court.

Whether the Panthers will have a higher number on their side of the scoreboard or not will depend on how much of last year’s success remains in their collective mind.

Coach Harold Fay’s squad entered the 2021-22 postseason with essentially a .500 record, but by focusing more on the defensive end, it breezed past Gardner-South Wilmington, Dwight and Midland to capture the St. Bede Class 1A Regional championship, its first postseason title since the 2013-14 season, and lock up its first 20-win campaign since 2016.

Putnam County then topped Chicago Fenger in the Class 1A Woodland Sectional before falling to eventual 1A state champ Yorkville Christian to finish with a 21-15 mark.

Lost to graduation are defensive stopper Drake Smith and guard, team leader and cheerleader Chad Olson. However, with the trio of Jackson McDonald, Austin Mattingly and Andrew Pyszka leading several returnees on a more balanced roster on offense and defense, the Panthers will again be a threat for postseason hardware.

“We’re excited for our senior class,” said Fay, in his sixth year as PC coach and the reigning IBCA District 12 Coach of the Year. “They’ve had great careers here, and after that postseason run last year, they’re anxious to get on the court and keep that going.”

The versatile 6-5 senior McDonald, who earned Tri-County and News Tribune first-team honors after posting 16.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, two assists and a steal per game, should draw most of the opposition’s defensive attention. Mattingly, who last year scored 26 points in the regional title game win over Midland, and Pyszka are 6-1 seniors who can shoot the 3 or take the ball to the hoop.

Helping in the post will be 6-4 senior Wyatt Grimshaw, along with 6-4 senior Spencer Voss, 6-0 senior Lucas Weisbrock, 6-3 junior Orlando Harris and 6-2 junior Cole Vipond.

After McDonald, Mattingly, Pyszka and Grimshaw, the fifth starter spot is up for grabs — possibly 5-11 junior Owen Sarpharn, 5-11 senior Blake Billups or juniors 5-11 Gavin Cimei, 5-11 Bryce Smith, 5-6 Drew Taliani and 5-5 junior Blake Baker.

“There are a couple who we’re looking to to step into that [stopper] role, who’s going to guard the best player on the other team. That’s kind of a coin flip right now,” said Fay, whose club opens at the Elmwood/Wethersfield Tournament on Nov. 21. “We have a lot of guys back, and having everybody familiar with what we do makes it easier to get that continuity going.”

Experience will give the Panthers a leg up in what could be a wide-open Tri-County Conference race.

“We have a lot of options in scoring,” Fay said. “My goal is to have three guys averaging 12 points rather than one averaging 20. … We hope to share the ball quite a bit and not have just an inside game or an outside game, and that’s exciting because with the people we have, that if something’s not working, [we can] find another avenue.

“We just have to hope the other team doesn’t score more than us. That will be the key, if we decided to guard hard. … I think we will. They figured out at the end of last season that it comes down to who can lock down and execute.”