The LHS basketball team is a young team this year but has promise.

The team finished third at state last year, and sophomore forward Brett Chapple believes it could have a strong season again.

“We have to work on teamwork and team chemistry, and we’ll be pretty good,” Chapple said.

The team, 4-1 this year, features many extremely athletic players, who can cause turnovers.  In their first game against Topeka High, for example, the Lions turned over the ball 16 times.

Still, team members say they have a lot of athleticism and strong players that are being overlooked by opponents.

“When people want to play defense, we are a very solid team,” senior guard Braden Solko said.

Junior forward Anthony Selden is among those bringing athleticism to the lineup and taking on the role of a varsity starter for the first time in his career with the Lions.

“We just have to be the best team that we possibly can,” Selden said. “Talking and coming together is what we really need to work on.”

The team is already showcasing its young talent with sophomore Clarence King scoring a combined 45 points in the three-game Blue Valley tournament.

The Lions faced cross town rival Free State last Friday and were impressive with their close win. Jackson Mallory led the way with 16 points. Sophomore Clarence King also had a very good performance showing his poise with being a primary ball handler in the final minutes.