Huron's young guys growing up

HURON — Huron played a lot of young guys out of necessity last season, a move that could pay dividends in 2024-25. The Tigers' three seniors — Cody Scroggins, Charlie Hardy and Ryan Sas — all were on the sidelines with injuries late in the season. Scroggins was hurt early and appeared in only eight games while averaging 10.6 points per game. Hardy played the bulk of the season and averaged 10 points per game while shooting an impressive 43 percent from 3-point range (54 for 125). Huron finished 9-13 overall and 4-6 in the SBC Bay Division in head coach Toby Miller's first season at the school. "I honestly thought that winning nine last year given the fact we had to reinvent ourselves three different times because of three injuries was pretty good," Miller said. "We got a lot of guys who were forced to grow up a little bit earlier this anticipated last year. I think that will be beneficial this season. "We have the exact same enrollment numbers as Margaretta. We dealt with three senior captains breaking legs and lost 95 percent of the scoring before last year. To win nine and get these guys valuable experience, I think we have a chance to be very strong this year." Huron's top players are seniors Jackson McNulty and Tommie McDonald, a pair of football standouts who are ready for success indoors. The 6-foot-5 McNulty averaged 17.0 points and 9.4 rebounds last season and is one of the best big men in the Sandusky Bay Conference. He was a first-team Bay selection last winter. "He's bouncy, he's athletic," Miller said. "He's put on good weight from football. He's really matured as a leader and has really bought in to making the correct basketball play. "Because he had a monstrous second half last season, in the first two scrimmages people were collapsing down on him. Last year at times he tried to do too much when he was double-teamed. Now he's zipping it out of there and finding the open man. Then he gets single coverage and he goes to work. He's letting the game come to him." McDonald, a 5-8 point guard, averaged 7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season. "He looks as explosive and dynamic as ever," Miller said. "I'd venture to say he's one of the best lateral athletes in our league. He's playing fast, under control and unselfishly. He's becoming the engine that drives the way we want to play." Landon Hohler, a 6-1 junior, averaged 5.5 points and 4.9 rebounds as a sophomore who was asked to do a lot. "He was forced to grow up as a sophomore," Miller said. "He was the fourth or fifth guy, but with all those injuries he became number two. He was asked to defend the other team's best player and generate offense. "He's really worked on his shot. We've worked on his release point. In the second half of last year he shot 38 (percent) from 3 once we made those changes mechanically." Quentin Conway, a 6-1 junior guard, is poised to make a leap after scoring 19 points in six varsity appearances last season. "He's good with the ball in his hands, breaking people down off the dribble," Miller said. "He's been one of our best rebounders and has been mentally engaged on the defensive end in practice." Joe Wood, the third senior on the roster, is a senior captain. "He led us in 'winning plays' last year," Miller said. "He would never miss an assignment. Joe's not gonna making many flashy plays but he'll play hard and help you win games." Sophomore Grant Periat was another young player who got varsity minutes because of injuries. He averaged 5.8 points in 12 games, helped by a 24-point outburst against Toledo Woodward late in the season. "He went from freshman to a week of JV to varsity," Miller said. "He had a gear we didn't have and needed to be nurtured. We fast-tracked him and two weeks later he scored 24 points." Another young player who could contribute is 6-4 junior Parker Schaefer. "He has done everything we asked him to do in the offseason and has put himself in position to fight for a starting spot," Miller said. "At that length and with that skill set, he can provide matchup problems for other teams." The Tigers will play in Division V this season. They're opener is December 6 at St. Mary Central Catholic. The home opener is December 10 against Tiffin Columbian. Miller wants his team to play fast — and rebound. That was an area in which the Tigers struggled last season. "I did a film study and it made me sick," Miller said. "We gave up 61 percent of our points on second-chance opportunities because we wouldn't grab the ball. And we had the best rebounder in the Bay Division (McNulty). We're gonna grab the basketball with two hands, I can promise you that. We're gonna guard the basketball and rebound it." Roster No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 0 Landon Enderle F 6-4 11 1 Quentin Conway G 6-1 11 2 Joe Wood G 5-9 12 3 Jack Raglow G 5-9 11 4 Caleb Staley G 5-11 11 5 Parker Schafer G 6-5 11 10 Grant Periat G 6-0 10 11 Tommie McDonald G 5-8 12 12 Landon Hohler G 6-1 11 14 Jackson McNulty F 6-5 12 23 Nixon Dike G 5-10 9 24 Paul Murray G 6-1 9