After watching his team go 4-18 last season, fifth-year MHS coach Jason Schroeder still has confidence in his squad. But he knows McLouth will have to gain some much-needed experience in close games if the Bulldogs want to increase their win total.

“We don’t have experience in crunch time yet,” Schroeder said.

The coach would like to see that change this year with five core players — junior guard Shawn Dailey, junior center Alen Kramer, junior power forward Gavin Swearngin, sophomore guard Marc Walbridge and senior guard Derek Wright — returning with starting experience.

“Now if it comes down to like a two-point game, I would say the other team is probably favored, because we haven’t been in that situation much, but I expect there to be a lot more two-point games than before,” Schroeder said.

If that proves to be true, McLouth will have to get past its past. The Bulldogs are 13-52 during the last three seasons and don’t have a wealth of successful results from which to draw upon when things get tough. However, Schroeder insisted his focus — as well as the players’ focus — has been on improvement and they haven’t dwelled on their recent losing seasons.

“I think that getting beat up on hasn’t killed our spirit,” the coach said. “And I think that it maybe fueled the fire a little bit. We didn’t give up on ourselves.”

Though the Bulldogs knew they would be losing a key piece from last year’s team, leading scorer Cole Batman, they hadn’t anticipated losing forward Trevor Roberts as well. A senior, Roberts suffered a severe compound fracture during an MHS football game this fall and eventually had his left leg amputated. Now the team’s only senior, Wright, a 5-foot-7 lead guard, expects plenty of help from McLouth’s junior class.

“I wasn’t planning on being the only senior. Now that I am, I kind of feel like it’s on my shoulders,” Wright said. “But with all the other juniors, I feel like it’s not so much pressure.”

Between Kramer (2009-2010 averages of 7.2 points per game and 5.1 rebounds), Swearngin (6.5 points, 6.4 boards), Dailey (3.8 points, two assists) and guard Calvin Booth, the MHS junior class should carry the load this year. Throw in sophomore power forward Dakota Cop and Schroeder likes the look of the roster.

“I think it’s the most depth we’ve had. I feel confident,” Schroeder said. “We still have questions: Where are we gonna get points from? We lost our two leading scorers from last year in Cole and Trevor, but I think we have kids that are capable of it. We’ve just got to figure out where is the best place to get them the basketball to score points.”

The coach wants to see each player bulk up his scoring average this season and expects Kramer and Swearngin to lead that charge as MHS runs a post-oriented offense.

“If everybody can pick up five points this year, they’re a year older and a year stronger and a year smarter. That’s better off than one kid scoring 20 and I don’t see that happening,” Schroeder said, adding Walbridge may see the biggest jump in production with much more playing time in his sophomore year.

Wright, a senior leader Schroeder described as more likely to let his work do the talking than getting in a guy’s face with rah-rah tactics, said he has confidence in his teammates.

“We’re all close together. We know how we play,” Wright said. “Losing Cole and Trevor is quite a bit of points to make up for, but we can do it.”

Wright, a wiry little guard, said the team might not have a lot of size or weight to throw around but all of its key players have developed their game since last season ended.

“Everybody’s improved quite a bit,” the senior said. “A lot of the returning varsity players, their shots have gotten a lot better.”

The next logical step for improvement would be in the win column. Schroeder wants to see his team experience some pressure situations.

“Hopefully that will come,” the coach said of tight games before coming up with an even better option. “Or hopefully it won’t and we’ll win by 20.”

Nothing wrong with a blowout when you’re on the other side of it.

McLouth opens its season Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Marmaton Valley Tournament in Moran.