THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

The Whitney High boys basketball team is coming off a section championship season after losing the Capital Valley Conference MVP Jashon Lewis to graduation, but the Wildcats are not looking at 2017-18 as a rebuilding year. Whitney head coach Nick French said he doubts he’ll ever see another player like Lewis, but he still has an ace in the hole – 10 of them, actually. “We have the ability, the returning seniors coming back as a group, can hopefully add up to what Jashon gave to us,” French said. “I’ve never had so many returning varsity players back to a team. I’m really excited about what these seniors can do and what their legacy is going to be.” The returning seniors are Justin Kraft, Kobe Bernal, Noah Samulewski, Cade Wickwire, Atir Mirza, Adam Nivinski and CVC All-League players Matt Willis and Tyler Austin. Filling out French’s 18-player roster are two new seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. The freshman is Ky’ Juan Anderson, the first he has ever had on his varsity roster. When French took over the Wildcats’ program five years ago, his goal was to build a culture of success. That culture is growing; 26 candidates tried out to wear the maroon and Vegas gold. Although there is strength in numbers, French found it difficult to have to cut his numbers to 18. “That was really hard,” said French. “I think (26 tryouts) is a good thing; the program is in a good spot, I think, and that culture is there.” But having a team heavy with seniors is not a guarantee of success, even if four of them were starters as juniors. The Wildcats do not have a player listed taller than 6 feet 5 inches and there is only one at that height. This year’s club team averages slightly over 6 feet, virtually the same as last year. Although French would not be disappointed to see a 6-10 player like Woodcreek’s 6-11 Jordan Brown enroll at Whitney, he is not going to put the program on hold until that happens. He said what he looks for most in a player is strength. “We have to put our kids in a system that gives them the best chance to succeed. That’s really what it is” French said. “In our system kids are pretty much interchangeable. [T]he kids that have the strength to go along with (their) skills and size; the strength thing is such a major factor. “In the way that we play, I’ll take a kid that’s 6-2 and plays extremely hard over a kid that’s 6-6 who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.” Whitney has a great weight-training program, which may have been a big factor in the Wildcat’s championship run last season. There may be teams with greater talent than Whitney has, but there are few, if any, that can outlast them. That kind of training began the first year French stepped on campus. The Wildcats play so hard, it is necessary to frequently substitute throughout the game. To enhance the training the ‘Cats schedule a brutal preseason. During the offseason, French and Rocklin head coach Steve Taylor put together the Nor Cal Tip Off Tournament scheduled for Nov. 29 to Dec. 2. They have some of the state’s top 16 teams coming to compete. The games will be held in the gyms at both schools. French said he tries to play the best teams and carries younger players in preparation for the future and the Sierra Foothill League. “I think the (Capital Valley) [L]eague is going to be much better this year. I thought it was good last year, but I really think the league is going to be really good this year,” said French. “Once we’re done with this basketball season we’re no longer in this CVC conference, but we are in the SFL.” Preparing for that move since he arrived at Whitney, French began youth programs extending all the way down to the third grade. He and junior varsity coach Paul Ackerman and frosh coach Ryan Hensley work closely together in preparing players for their final two years as Wildcats. “Our sophomore class is very good and they have a chance to be very good. But they are going to be thrown into a whole new fire their junior and senior years, French said. “It’s my fifth year and I’ve started to see these kids grow up in the program. That’s the neatest thing about all this is to see these kids who start in fourth and fifth grade and now they’re in high school.” As a reward for all the hard work put in by his players, French, family and friends spend a lot of time fundraising for special events. Last year they went to San Diego to play in the Surf and Slam Tournament. This year, the team will head for Phoenix to play in a tournament held at Arizona State University. “I want the kids to have a great experience,” said French. “It’s more about the great experience the kids are going to have. That’s the stuff that you remember after you graduate.” The Wildcats will open their campaign hosting state runner-up Woodcreek in the Sac-Joaquin Section Foundation Game Nov. 27.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

WHITNEY BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL

JIM LINSDAU

Placer Herald | 11/21/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Linsdau