Young Hawks impressive in preseason scrimmage

We’re playing a bunch of kids, half of them can’t drive a car ... Coach Jeff Vaughn

982
Mississinawa Valley freshman Ben Hamilton goes for a dunk in scrimmage with Greenville. (Gaylen Blosser photo)

UNION CITY – The Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks, under the direction of first-year head coach Jeff Vaughn, hosted the Greenville Green Wave in a preseason basketball scrimmage.

“I thought we played hard,” said Hawks coach Jeff Vaughn. “We didn’t shoot particularly well tonight, but the effort was there.”

Blackhawks vs Greenville scrimmage. (Gaylen Blosser photo)

Vaughn returns to a Blackhawks program he coached from 2005 to 2009 before returning to his alma mater to coach in several basketball programs: varsity boys and girls assistant, JV girls coach, and freshman boys coach for the Fort Recovery Indians.

“I have always had a heart for this place,” Vaughn said of his return to MV. “I’m glad to be back. I like the kids, and I think we will have a good year.”

The young Hawks team came out strong to open the night’s play before a good attendance of fans from both schools took in the early season action.

Blackhawks vs Greenville scrimmage. (Gaylen Blosser photo)

“We came out early and hit a couple of threes,” Vaughn noted. “I’m not sure we hit a whole lot of threes after that but I added it up after four quarters, I think we won 38-33 and like I told the guys, we missed some easy shots but if you are committed to playing defense you’re always going to be in a game. I would be thrilled to death to give up 33 points a game. That is one thing I keep telling them, defensively; if you are always solid, you will be in the game.”

Mississinawa takes on the new season with a crop of freshmen and sophomores, along with a few juniors and two seniors, filling out the roster.

Blackhawks vs Greenville scrimmage. (Gaylen Blosser photo)

“I’m playing a bunch of young kids,” said Vaughn. “We’re playing a bunch of kids, half of them can’t drive a car, so I have to keep reminding myself of that, but we’re going against 17 and 18-year-old kids, but we held our own. Ben Hamilton, a freshman is growing up as we go, the kid’s thrown in the fire, he does some nice things.”

“My biggest thing right now is trying to figure out what our rotation and depth are because I have a lot of kids playing JV and varsity. Our biggest problem is figuring out who our bench is and how we will rotate them. I have eight or nine sophomores, maybe two right now, that have proven they are varsity players, and they need playing time, so it’s going to be a rotation that whoever’s lights on that night.”

“Overall, I thought we did alright,” Vaughn added. We competed. Greenville has some strong, athletic, long kids, and I didn’t think we backed down from them, which I am happy about.”

Blackhawks vs Greenville scrimmage. (Gaylen Blosser photo)

Mississinawa Valley looks to improve on a 3-20 2023-2024 season while going 2-9 in conference play.

“It is a different product than what we have been used to,” Coach Vaughn said of the upcoming season. “I’m thrilled to see where they can go. I think we have a high upside, and there will be nights when the lights aren’t on because they are young kids, but I feel good from where we started last summer to where we are now. Hopefully, people who are coming to the games see that.”