North Union, IA - The North Union Warriors boys basketball team is now under the guidance of 11th-year head coach Alex Fisher as they strive to find their rhythm on the court. Coming off a successful 14-2 season that earned them a second-place finish in the Top of Iowa Conference, the Warriors enter the new season with a fresh roster and many players getting their first taste of varsity action.

The Warriors' Journey to Success Amidst Injuries

Adjusting to a Short Bench

Due to injuries, the Warriors currently find themselves having to play with a limited bench. Despite this setback, they managed to secure a victory over West Bend-Mallard with a score of 66-48 in a nonconference match, starting their season with a 1-0 record. "There's probably not a lot of big minutes," said Fisher. "But more so focused on just gelling together right now, with some guys out due to injuries. We're overcoming some obstacles. We basically started with two fives, Lane Bruin and Cole Nixon together. So trying to make that gel in the offensive end with a three-guard offense instead of four. And then overall just getting ready for the next level up for a lot of our JV guys getting ready to play at the varsity level."

Even with the challenges of a short bench, the team is showing determination and resilience as they work to make the most of their current situation.

Developing as a Shooting Team

Fisher has faith in his squad as a shooting team and likes the outlook of the offense this season. He cited the team's ability to hit shots from beyond the arc. "Overall, we're a pretty good shooting team," said Fisher. "I think we got at times four guys that can really step behind the line and hit threes. You know, we got good guard play with Cale Jones and Grayson Kovrov able to create a lot of offense for us."

The team's shooting skills have been a key aspect of their game, and they are working to build on this strength as the season progresses.

Focusing on Team Development

As with any young roster, the Warriors are focusing on developing the team as a unit and becoming the best squad they can. "Our expectation always is just to get better every day," said Fisher. "We're just one day at a time, but big picture we want to hopefully get Drew [Henderson] and Grady [Madden] back healthy here after the break and then we're hoping we can be right there in the top three, four of the conference mix."

The team is working together to improve their skills and teamwork, with the goal of achieving great things as the season unfolds.

The Warriors are ready for their next game against North Iowa Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the North Iowa Community High School Gym.