Hays High will open their basketball season for a 41st year with the Gerald Mitchell Hays City Shootout. The Indians will take the court on Thursday, November 3oth with the tournament running through Saturday.
Len Melvin is at the head of the girls program for a fourth season. The Indians finished sub-state runner-up for a second consecutive season and ended 2023 with a 14-8 record. They lost to eventual 5A state runner-up Bishop Carroll.
The Indians have two returning starters in juniors Molly Martin and Katie Linenberger. Martin started all 21 games she played in last year and averaged 12 points per game. Linenberger started 19 of 22 games and scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds per contest. Kinlee Winter appeared in 17 games, Riley Dreher all 22, and Zoe Winter played in 19 games but all will see their minutes increase.
Brygette Ross is the lone senior on the roster.
The Indians return 56% of their scoring and 48% of rebounding from a year ago.
Sean Dreiling will lead boys program for a second year following a 13-9 season and sub-state runner-up finish to Kapaun.
While the Indians graduated a large senior class they still return 54% of scoring and 38% of their rebounding.
Senior Jack Weimer averaged 12 points per game while playing in 22 games, starting 21. Sophomore Dawson Ruder and senior Kyzer Fox appeared in all 22 games while Edwin Muller played in 21 contests. Ruder started three games and Fox five. The remainder of the roster has 19 total game appearances.
Weimer, Fox, Muller, and Corbin Werth are the seniors listed on this year's roster.
Hays High will open with TMP in the first round of tournament action Thursday. The girls tip at 6:30 with the boys to follow. The TMP boys are ranked #3 in 2A.
Earlier in the day at Hays High School the Newton girls will play #3-6A Washburn Rural at 3:00 and the Newton boys take on Life Prep.
The other half of the tournament will be held at Hays Middle School where the day will open at 3:00 with Manhattan facing Millwood (OK) with the girls playing first. The Olathe West girls will play Hugoton at 6:30 and the defending 4A champion Hugoton boys will play Sunrise Christian. The Hugoton boys are preseason ranked #1 in 4A.