Central Lee has improved numbers for 2022-23

Turning things around

The second half of last season was where it started for us. We cut our turnovers down big-time. We started to turn things around.”

Kritter Hayes, Central Lee boys Head Coach

DONNELLSON - Kritter Hayes is building a foundation with the Central Lee boys basketball team.
Hayes has 27 players among the four classes with the Hawks, and he thinks he can tap into those numbers to improve on last season’s 1-21 team.
“We’re going to be a lot deeper than we were last year,” Hayes said. “There are guys who are coming out for basketball who haven’t played since, like, fifth or sixth grade. Which is good. It’s a learning factor for them, especially at the varsity level. If we can get those guys out when they’re freshmen or sophomores, then they can develop in our program. And that will help our program down the road.”
The Hawks’ lone win, a 44-42 victory over Louisa-Muscatine, came late in the season. That win was the start of some momentum, Hayes said.
“We had a good summer,” he said. “The second half of last season was where it started for us. We cut our turnovers down big-time. We started to turn things around.”
Hayes likes what he has seen so far from sophomore captain Brayden Wyrick and senior captain Corbin Pohren, along with junior Cory Jones and sophomore Chase Johnson.
“Those guys are probably going to be the core of the team,” Hayes said. “They’re looking good right now.”
Wyrick led the Hawks in scoring and rebounding last season.
“He started every game, and really got a lot of experience,” Hayes said.
Junior Aden Ross and sophomore Kegan Damico are proving to be key parts of the Hawks’ backcourt.
“We’re going to lean on all of those guys for a lot of minutes,” Hayes said.
Hayes said last season was about building a program. This season, he said, already feels different.
“It’s felt like things have gone smoother faster,” he said. “Last year we were teaching a lot, trying to install some of the things we wanted to do, and trying to find the personnel groupings that we needed to do. It just seems like we're going faster, and we’re further ahead of where we were (last year).”
The key, Hayes said, will be getting victories to go with the improvement.
“I want it to translate into more victories for the guys,” he said. “That will help a ton.”