Ryan Ostry
Bugle Reporter
@RyanOstry_BR18
rostry@buglenewspapers.com
Gregg Bayer’s Plainfield Central Wildcats are back in action for the 2018-19 campaign looking to compete in the Southwest Prairie Conference.
The Wildcats have a roster of nine juniors and seven seniors led by junior guard Brandon Shoemaker and senior guard Maurice McCullum.
Bayer’s club isn’t necessarily the tallest team in the conference, with their tallest players being 6-feet-4 inches, but he said that they will win by getting out in transition, and playing tough defense.
“We live off of being a defensive team,” Bayer said. “We want to be a team even if we don’t make shots, we find a way to win through being tough, physical and playing great defense.”
The Wildcats have had their ups and downs already in the early season, including a 32-point loss to Neuqua Valley.
“This game was a punch in the mouth, we have to come back even stronger and not let a loss define our season,” McCullum said. “I want to take this team as far as possible, we have the players to do it and we will keep working hard until we reach our goal.”
The remaining schedule will not be easy for the Wildcats, as they have 12 games left to try and compete for a conference title.
Glenbard West, Plainfield North (twice), Stagg, Plainfield East, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Joliet Central, Aurora Central Catholic, Minooka (twice), Yorkville and Oswego East is the remaining schedule for Bayer’s veteran ball club.
Being in a tough division, Bayer has high expectations for his team, and he thinks his team has a good shot to compete if they continue to work as hard as they have.
“Our conference is very tough,” Bayer said. “I don’t think there’s one weak team in our conference to be honest, we work very hard and I would love to see us finish in the top half of our conference this year.”
Before the two game losing streak started against Neuqua Valley and then Oswego, Bayer’s team had not allowed 60 points, and Shoemaker knows that was a key to early success.
“When we play as a team and together, we’re very hard to beat,” Shoemaker said. “I want to make my guys go hard in practice, love the game and do whatever else I can to make this team better.”