Valley Boys' Basketball Features Top Talent, Is Favored in Conference

This season's Valley High School boys' basketball team has the same goal as every year: Try to win every game.

Last season in Jeff Horner's first year as head coach, the Tigers were one win away from a state tournament berth. This season, they return first team All-State selection and Northwestern recruit Kale Abrahamson, and one of the nation's most sought-after recruits, Roosevelt transfer Peter Jok.

Horner says this team has a ton of potential, and winning is the goal. Just like it is every year.

"We want to try and win every game," Horner said. "We want to be conference champs, and get to the state tournament and be state champs. It doesn't matter if it was this year, last year or next year — those are always our goals. If we didn't want to do that, then it wouldn't be worth playing."

First team All-Conference selection Tyler Anderson graduated, but transferring in is 6-foot, 6-inch forward Jok.

"He's pretty much getting recruited by everybody right now," Horner said. "Kansas, Iowa State, Duke, North Carolina — they're all keeping an eye on him, seeing how things go. He's on everyone's radar."

Jok had knee surgery in June, and Horner says he and Jok's trainers will be cautious with the athlete's return.

"It's still kind of a question mark right now when he'll start playing," Horner said. "You know, obviously he has a bright future ahead of him; we wouldn't want to put that in jeopardy. Obviously, when you're a young kid, you're going to want to play, so he'll be back as soon as he can."

With two Division 1 players on one team, the Tigers have the attention of the rest of the Central Iowa Metro League conference.

Cross-town rival Dowling Catholic is no exception.

"Valley's obviously going to be very good with the kids they have," said Dowling Catholic head coach Mike O'Connor. "They've got a lot of kids with a lot of depth over there. With Pete Jok and Kale Abrahamson you've got two really good basketball players there."

Even with the wealth of talent and infinite potential, says Horner, success will happen if his team plays fundamentally solid basketball.

"As long as we can play defense and play together and get on the floor to loose balls, then the sky is the limit for this team," said Horner.

The Tigers opened the season with a 59-43 win over Johnston Tuesday. Valley hosts Des Moines Roosevelt at 7:45 p.m. Friday at the Valley High School Fieldhouse.