by Rick Converse, Morrison County Record sports reporter
Pierz seniors Andy Kretschmar, Travis Kahl, Alex Bujalski and Zach Kummet are expected to carry on with the great senior leadership the Pioneer boys basketball team had last season.
Juniors Brandon Meyer, Austen Marschel, Andy Leidenfrost and Dylan Kummet return as letter winners. Sophomore letter winner Caleb Janson and sophomore Preston Weber are also expected to make a strong contribution.
The Pioneers were the Sub-section 18 runners-up. The 11-3 record in the Central Minnesota Conference (CMC) was good enough for second place last year. Pierz had a 21-7 record overall.
"Our conference is wide open," said Pierz head coach Kurt Stumpf. "Four teams graduated their starting lineups and two other teams lost 20 point scorers to transfer."
The teams that graduated their starting lineups are Pierz, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted and Eden Valley-Watkins. Kimball and Holdingford lost high scorers to transfer.
"We are in one of the top sections in the state in AA," said Stumpf. "We have three ranked teams in our section, New London-Spicer, Staples-Motley and Morris Area."
"Pierz had the top JV team last season and has put in a lot of time in the off season," said Stumpf.
"We should be able to contend for a CMC championship, but with our section being so tough, we have to improve a lot in order to compete for a section championship," he said.
Pierz will not change its style of play. It will run the floor on offense and try to get some transition baskets. The Pioneers will pressure the ball on defense and play a couple of different full court defenses.
The Pioneers play their first game in Little Falls, Tuesday, Dec. 8, and play their first home game Thursday, Dec. 10, against Big Lake.