The Bowie boy’s basketball team has a lot to answer this season if it wants to continue to be thought of as one of the areas’ best teams.
With all of the big-time contributors gone from the program’s state title team from two years ago and returning only four players, all seniors, from last year’s team, the Jackrabbit program will be put to the test this season.
“We try to make as minimal changes as possible to what we do because it has worked for so long,” Coach Jonathon Horton said. “The personnel changes, the system really doesn’t, but our personnel is a little different.”
The biggest departure, both literally and figuratively, is center Daniel Mosley, the team’s leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker for the last several years who will be playing for Midwestern State University this season.
With him and some other departures, the length and bulk the team has had the past couple of years that was a strength, will instead be something the team will have to make up for in different ways.
Returning seniors include versatile wing and returning leading scorer Braden Armstrong, shooter Riley Harris, hustle and energy player Trevor Vann and tall post Boo Oakley.
All four contributed heavily to last year’s team that made it to the area game before losing to Jim Ned.
With no Mosley or dominant scoring presence in the post, the usual inside-out approach the offense and defense had the last several years will instead be geared towards perimeter play.
“Our goal is to make perimeter defense one of our advantages,” Horton said. “One of our weaknesses will be interior defense and rebounding because of our size, so we are making an emphasis on everything we do towards toughness on the interior.”

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.