The more he figures out the depths of his Alto High boys’ basketball team, the more Seth Hubbard likes his chances this season.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces, guys that have to get accustomed to playing together,” Hubbard told the Texas Scorecard. “But on the flip side, we’ve got a ton of potential and can really get after you on defense to the point it makes a difference. We can be a playoff team again, just like last year.”
Even through tough times, Hubbard sees a silver lining for the Yellowjackets.
Alto opened the season with a 68-50 loss to Center, the No.6 ranked 1A team in the area.
“We just ran out gas,” Hubbard said. “We did a lot of good things for the vast majority of the game and had the lead for a while, then we simply ran out of steam.”
Alto is led by a junior trio, consisting of guards Skyler Atkins and Marlon Warren and post man Fred Thacker.
“Atkins is extremely athletic and can knock down shots while setting the tone for how we play defensively,” Hubbard said. “Warren can get to the rim and is extremely talented on offense, while Fred controls the paint for us on both ends and cans step out and knock down shots.”
Hubbard said the recent changes in the Alto program run deep, starting with the direction of athletic director Ricky Weeks.
“He’s an outstanding guy to work with and we’re building as a program,” he said. “The school has long had a reputation for producing good athletes.”
Hubbard said the team’s philosophy was a simple one.
“We talk about always giving effort and controlling the things we can,” he said.
Junior guards James Thompson, a 6-foot-3-inch athletic wing, and Kurrinsai Jackson, a 5-foot-11-inch sharpshooter, also figure prominently into the Yellowjackets’ plans.
