By David Heiller

Argus News Editor

Caledonia boys basketball fans will see some new faces and a different kind of basketball team this year.

Josh Diersen, who took over the head coaching duties for Dave Meyer, has a quick and fast team.

They will play a man-to-man defense and use a full court press, Diersen said. ìWeíve got athletes that weíve got to utilize, [and] the speed that we have built into the program,î he said. ìSize isnít our strength this year. This is the smallest team weíve had in a long time, but maybe one of the quickest.î

It will be a rebuilding year, Diersen said. ìI think weíll surprise people,î he added.

Diersen is familiar with the team, having coached the freshmen for a year before moving up to JV last year. Diersen is also familiar to many fans as a starter on the 1997 boys basketball team that went undefeated and won the Minnesota Class AA state championship.

Four letter winners return from last yearís team, which finished 25-2 and lost in the East Sub-Section finals. They are seniors Paul Bulman, Trevor Heintz, and Luke Nelson; and junior Alex Guillien.

ìAlex and Luke are going to be our go-to guys,î Diersen said. He called Nelson one of the better players in the area. Bulman has great rebounding skill and does all the little things well, Diersen added.

Other juniors on the varsity team are Drew Hammell, Derek Lager, Andrell Hudson, and Tyler Augedahl.

Six sophomores will be on the team: Pat Bolduan, Zach Gran, Dustin King; Craig Loeffler, Cody Moore, and Kevin Voight.

Kingsland, Rushford-Peterson, and Chatfield will all have good teams, Diersen predicted. ìEvery win weíre going to have to fight for,î he said. ìIt will be exciting basketball.î

The first two games of the season have been rescheduled because several of the players were on the football team and didnít get to start basketball practice until November 28. Diersen said those players didnít get a break for their mind or body between sports, but he found a positive in that. ìMaybe theyíll build off the state [football] thing,î he said.

Their first game is December 10 in Spring Grove. They then travel to Kingsland on December 13.

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