MEET THE TEAM
Another job in Division I that has been on the verge of breaking through, but is still waiting for that one season of greatness. Newton has a great atmosphere at its games and has had some talent over the years, but the move up to Division I of the AV-CTL has been difficult for them in a lot of sports.It's been 14 years since the Railroaders have played a game in the state tournament and Don Cameron is the man in charge of changing that. This team only won 6 games last season, but they have an excellent opportunity. There appears to be no dominant teams in Newton's 8-team sub-state and with two state berths available, Cameron is asking: Why not us?
There will be some obstacles to overcome, however. As previously mentioned, Newton struggled last season with virtually the same roster. But they only graduated three seniors and have much of their production returning.
It all begins with the two under-6-foot senior guards that will be the foundation of the team: Grant Walker and Austin Krogmeier. There might not be anyone on the team capable of replacing all of the production lost from the graduation of Jenson Kingsley, but Newton will have a balanced attack likely led by Walker. He's the team's best outside shooter and will give Newton a real perimeter threat to stretch defenses. Krogmeier might not score as much, but his defense will be critical to the team success and he'll score some just on his steals.
But the biggest concern of the season will be the team's defense and rebounding. Newton only has one player over 6-foot-1 in its rotation and that's counting an inexperienced sophomore as the one player. So Cameron will have to get creative with his defenses, which he'll likely constantly be switching to keep teams out of their comfort zones. This will be Newton's unquestionable X-Factor this season.
Without much size to depend on down low, expect Newton to try to keep its attack centered around the perimeter. They'll be hoisting up a lot of outside shots and spreading the court to create driving lanes for their guards. It will be an interesting attack and one that could create mismatches with teams that play more than one posts, but then again Newton has to defend on the other end of the court too.
It looks like no one is touching Derby again this season in Division I, but it's a jumbled mess after that and some team has to step up and take over and Newton has as good of chance as any other team. And as mentioned before, the sub-state presents another good opportunity for Newton. They could be in store for around a .500 season, but they could end up finishing as a surprise team this season if things come together.
MEET THE CAST
#03 | AUSTIN KROGMEIER | WING | 6'1" | SENIOR
Probably the team's best perimeter defender and could see some time guarding the post because of Newton's lack of size. He's a valuable piece and also should help some with the scoring load and will be one of the team's senior leaders.
#15 | GRANT WALKER | WING | 5'11" | SENIOR
Should shoulder a big portion of the scoring load this season as a senior. He has a deadly outside shot and can also score driving to the basket, so he should be in store for a nice season as Newton's main scoring threat.
#32 | JACK KINGSLEY | POINT | 5'10" | SOPHOMORE
Saw marginal time last season as a freshman and will take the next step this season. He could have the keys to the offense handed to him already and has a knack for scoring and creating for others.
#05 | JACOB WRIGHT | WING | 5'11" | SENIOR
Will see a bump up in scoring this season as he will see more time as a senior. He'll be an important piece in Newton's 4-guard line-ups and has the ability to stroke it and score off the dribble.
#10 | GUNAR DRINNEN | WING | 5'10" | JUNIOR
#22 | JOSH CARLGREN | WING | 6'0" | JUNIOR
#41 | JOSH ROBINSON | POST | 6'5" | SOPHOMORE
#33 | LANE PAULS | WING | 6'0" | SENIOR
Probably the team's best perimeter defender and could see some time guarding the post because of Newton's lack of size. He's a valuable piece and also should help some with the scoring load and will be one of the team's senior leaders.
#15 | GRANT WALKER | WING | 5'11" | SENIOR
Should shoulder a big portion of the scoring load this season as a senior. He has a deadly outside shot and can also score driving to the basket, so he should be in store for a nice season as Newton's main scoring threat.
#32 | JACK KINGSLEY | POINT | 5'10" | SOPHOMORE
Saw marginal time last season as a freshman and will take the next step this season. He could have the keys to the offense handed to him already and has a knack for scoring and creating for others.
#05 | JACOB WRIGHT | WING | 5'11" | SENIOR
Will see a bump up in scoring this season as he will see more time as a senior. He'll be an important piece in Newton's 4-guard line-ups and has the ability to stroke it and score off the dribble.
#10 | GUNAR DRINNEN | WING | 5'10" | JUNIOR
#22 | JOSH CARLGREN | WING | 6'0" | JUNIOR
#41 | JOSH ROBINSON | POST | 6'5" | SOPHOMORE
#33 | LANE PAULS | WING | 6'0" | SENIOR
THE PREDICTION
When a 6-win team loses its best player, it's hard to predict that team to come back stronger the next season. But I think Newton has a strong chance to improve its record this season and compete in the division and also in the sub-state. Both offer huge opportunities for the Railroaders to make a move this season and I think in the third season under Cameron they will surprise some people. I expect to Newton to get off to a fast start to the season and finish right around .500 and could make a strong push to make the state tournament in a wide-open sub-state. 
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