The 2017-2018 basketball season was a challenge for the Pattonville boys’ basketball team after coming off of an  incredible season the year prior with a state quarterfinal run. The team had the likes of Division I commit Richard Henderson and all-state talent Destan Williams who had several Division II offers.

The team knew that last season would be a transition losing seven seniors and only having one retiring starter, Derrick Boyce, who went on to play football for Butler College in Kansas this fall. Though having a talented Boyce last season, the team had its struggles only winning a handful of games. The Pirates would lose in the first round of the playoffs to Hazelwood Central.

Thames looked forward to an unexpected addition to his unit last season, foreign exchange student and guard, Ezra Jakob who was from Belgium. Jakob was the player the team needed considering the loss of all-state superstar Destan Williams the year prior. Though the team was excited about the addition of Jakob. unfortunately, the team did not live up to the expectations of the fans.

This season is an opportunity to build off of a disappointing year in 2018 and to see what the team can do this time around. With young talents such as Monte Henderson and Alijah Carter, this team is ready for the future.

The annual tryout is also a great opportunity to find new players with potential and ability. For some students at Pattonville High, this is the last opportunity for previously unlucky students to prove themselves, and that is the case for senior guard Nathan Schiermeyer.

“Yeah, it’s just my last year before going to college and this is my last year to prove to this coaching staff that I have ability,” he said. “I had the coaches tell me last year that I didn’t have the basketball IQ or the ability to play basketball at the high school level. It really started a fuse in me. I’ve been going to the gym every day since that tryout last year. I’m definitely hoping I can prove some of my doubters wrong.”

Schiermeyer and many other seniors will be attending their last winter sports tryouts this week and they will be hoping for the best.

Tryouts will be held from Monday, Oct. 29, through Friday, Nov. 2.