It’s hard to hate Coach Schmitt. The new varsity boys’ basketball head coach has a character that is unmatched.

Many people around the community who have nothing to do with the basketball team have been saying that they can tell how good of a job Coach Schmitt is doing with the boys. That in itself speak volumes.

But in a city like this, word, good and bad, travels fast. During the summer, Coach Schmitt began to develop his relationships with the players and began to change the atmosphere and expectations of Blue Jay Basketball.

The relationships developed quickly. “We are becoming a family,” said Coach. “The more time we spend together, the closer we get.”

However, the record has not followed yet. The boys’ record holds at 2-6. The job that was assigned to Coach Schmitt is not an easy one.

They are a young team and have had their share of struggles with a lack of varsity experience. “We only have 2 guys on our roster who have played any varsity minutes prior to this season. The more they play, the more comfortable they will get,” Schmitt said.

This is something that Blue Jay nation is hoping for. The boys have shown flashes of being a really good playoff team.

Throughout the whole season, the Blue Jays have been missing a big part of their team, junior Xavier Cason. Xavier is finally returning to the court and the team couldn’t be happier. “He’s really stepped up as a leader for us,” Schmitt said.

Now that Xavier is back in the lineup, the team is complete. He is a part of the towering front court for the boys. The other half of the duo is senior A.J Range. The two big men are all about grit and playing tough and so is the rest of the team.

“We play extremely hard in every game and the boys really want to be good. Effort and wanting to get better is something we strive in,” Schmitt noted.

These are very vital attributes for a successful team.

The team did suffer a spirit-crushing loss to Washburn High School, though.

“It is a process. It isn’t going to happen overnight,” Schmitt said.

He continued by noting that 6A basketball is a league of its own. A much tougher division of basketball than most others.

“There are no bad teams, every single night is a heavyweight fight. If you don’t perfect the simple mistakes, then you have no chance,” he said.

His answers emit a ray of hope for the future of JCHS basketball. One can’t help but feel the sense that a big break through is just around the corner.

The young, vibrant coach can still turn the team around and have them at their very best in March. The goal is establishing the culture and foundation for the future.

A turnaround like this can take a few seasons to make, but the pairing of this team and this coach is not one that someone comes across often.

The boys’ basketball team travels to Topeka on January 27th to take on the Trojans in hopes of starting what might be one of the best comeback stories in JCHS sports history.