Bobcat boys ready for youth to be served

It’s time now to see if youth will be served.
After playing freshmen and sophomores over the last two seasons, Bowling Green’s boys basketball team now
has four veteran players to lead the team this season — seniors Tony Dible and Jonathan Stoner; and
juniors Chauncey Orr and Xavier Brown.
“We finally have some seniors and some juniors. That’s going to be key. We played those guys as freshmen
and sophomores and took our lumps, if you want to call it that,” said Von Graffin, now in his eighth
season as Bowling Green’s head coach. “We’re excited about the chance to be good this year. We have a
real good nucleus.
“We return 73 percent of our scoring and 71 percent of our rebounding,” he added. “We return four players
who averaged 25-plus minutes per game last year. Those things alone put you in the mix.”
Graffin added that the team will be working on lowering the opponent’s field goal percentage and points
per game.
The Bobcats were 10-12 overall and 8-6 in the Northern Lakes League last season.
Dible, 6-feet-2, averaged 7.0 points and 1.5 steals per game last season. He had 25 3-pointers a year
ago. This will be his fourth season on the varsity.
“Tony Dible at times this summer and in the fall has really begun to shoot the ball well,” Graffin said.
“He’s gotten stronger. He can get his shot off the dribble, and he can guard really well.”
Stoner, 6-1, averaged 4.1 points and 2.5 assists per game. He is also BG’s top defender.
“Jonathan Stoner put on some good weight. He got physically strong and bigger,” Graffin said. “He can
guard people, distribute the ball and hit his shot when it’s there.”
Orr, 6-feet-4, led the team in scoring last season, averaging 16.3 points a game. He also averaged 8.0
rebounds per game. Orr, the son of BGSU head men’s basketball coach Louis Orr, shot 52 percent from the
field and 74 from the free-throw line in 2008-09.
“He’s very versatile. He can run the point. He can post up. He can rebound. He does a lot of nice things
in a lot of different ways,” Graffin said. “He has improved his shot from the perimeter.”
Brown, 5-11, was also in double figures at 10.3 points per game and he averaged 2.0 assists per game.
Brown shot 73 percent from the free-throw line.
“Xavier has improved his outside game. If you back up off him to guard that drive, he can knock that shot
down and make you pay,” Graffin said.
Caleb Roe, a 6-4 junior, is BG’s other returning letter winner.
“He’s doesn’t have a lot of stats, but when he’s on the floor we seem to extend possessions. We take
charges. We guard better,” Graffin said.
Graffin is also expecting big things from Max Hopfgartner, a 6-8 junior, who is an exchange student from
Austria.
“He had never seen a weight room until he got here on Aug. 13 and now he has gained 12 pounds,” Graffin
said. “He’s a great kid. His teammates have taken to him. He’s going to be a nice addition to what was
already going to be a pretty good basketball team.”
Will Hess, 6-2, and Michael Sommers, 6-4, are the other seniors on the roster.
“Will Hess will be able to give us some minutes. The things he can do athletically are amazing
sometimes,” Graffin said. “Michael Sommers will contribute in different ways.”
Juniors Max Beattie, 5-11, and Kurt Fairchild, 6-0, are going to add offense off the bench.
“Max Beattie is instant offense. He reminds you of Vinnie Johnson (former Detroit Piston). He comes in
and all of a sudden he has three straight threes,” Graffin said. “Kurt has really improved his shot. He
can really catch and shoot it.”
Alex Augsburger, a 6-7 junior, and Vitto Brown, a 6-6 freshman, are being counted on to help inside. Both
may see some playing time on the junior varsity.
‘‘‘Augie’ is going to help us down the road,” Graffin said. “Vitto is learning how to work; he’s being
coached hard.”
The development of BG’s inside players is being aided by the addition of Kirk Cowan, a former Bowling
Green Falcon, to the coaching staff.
“He’s getting some nice things done with our big guys,” Graffin said.
Sophomore Tyler Dunn, 5-8, rounds out the roster. With several players hurt or ill since practices began,
Dunn has filled in and Graffin added him to the roster, although Dunn will also see time on the junior
varsity.
Graffin said the NLL will be tough this season with Perrysburg and Southview being two of the better
teams.
BGHS BOYS SCHEDULE
Dec. 5 — MAUMEE#
Dec. 8 — at Southview#
Dec. 12 — at Findlay
Dec. 15 — PERRYSBURG#
Dec. 19 — at Maumee#
Dec. 22 — ROSSFORD#
Dec. 23 — TOLEDO ST. JOHN’S
Dec. 29 — WESTERVILLE CENTRAL
Jan. 5 — at Springfield#
Jan. 9 — at Ottawa-Glandorf
Jan. 12 — ANTHONY WAYNE#
Jan. 16 — at Northview#
Jan. 22 —SPRINGFIELD#
Jan. 29 — SOUTHVIEW#
Feb. 5 — at Perrysburg#
Feb. 12 — NORTHVIEW#
Feb. 13 — PICKERINGTON CENTRAL
Feb. 16 — at Toledo Central Catholic
Feb. 19 — at Rossford#
Feb. 26 — at Anthony Wayne#
#—Northern Lakes League games