The Anson Bearcats varsity boys basketball team will open the season with a home-and-home, two-game series against Class 4-A Richmond Senior, first at Rockingham on Tuesday and then on Thursday in Wadesboro.
The Bearcats were a young team in 2018 that finished 9-15 overall and 4-6 in the Rocky River Conference with no seniors under coach Termell Middlebrooks.
Garrett Manor, now a senior, led the Bearcats with 13.3 points per game, followed by Lance Shuler, now a junior, with 10.3 points per game, and Kobe Teal, also now a junior, with 8.6 points per game.
Last season, freshman Kenyon Wall averaged 5.2 ppg, sophomore Maurice Capel Jr. averaged 5 ppg and sophomore Sam Ingram put up 5 ppg. All three are on Anson’s 14-platyer roster this season and a year more experienced.
The team is also much older this season, with 13 of the 14 roster players being upperclassmen. Aside from Manor, the Bearcats have seniors Wesley Lear, Chaka Washington, John Williams and Albert Bennett.
Anson also boasts some serious height in 6-8 Wall, 6-5 Ingram, 6-4 Bennett and 6-5 Williams.
Others on the roster include juniors Masson Sanderson, Lance Shuler, Kodarius Burns, Shamond Ingram and Darren Harrington.
Thursday’s home game against Richmond Senior will tip off 30 minutes after the girls varsity game.