Oakville Boys Looking to Recapture Conference Title

The boys basketball team is a young group wanting to make a big difference in the 2011-2012 season.

The Tigers went 17-11 last year and are the defending Suburban West Conference champions.

They've made it to the district championship game the last four years, and brought home their only second-place finish last season against Vianney, losing 48-43.

“With how well we’ve done in the past, these guys think they have something to prove; they want to be part of that program that’s established and doing well,” said head coach Nick Traxler.

, the boys team is young, losing four starters in five seniors. The Tigers' lone starting veteran is Austin Gillmann.

The 6-foot, 10-inch sophomore forward was second team all-conference last season, and brought in an 8-point, 6.4-rebound average.

“He’s got a lot of very good experience under his belt,” Traxler said.

Gillmann is joined by seniors Austin Cibulka and at the guard positions.

Traxler will look among juniors and Tommy Breunig and sophomores Ervin Sarajilic and Tristan Buckhaulter to fill the remaining starting positions.

Team chemistry and solid defense, which has long been Oakville's staple, are Traxler’s main focuses coming into the season.

“We’re trying to keep the practices active and upbeat. We joke around with them and we try to make it an experience they’ll enjoy,” he said. “Team chemistry is what we’re really focusing a lot of our time on.”

The Tigers open the season Thursday at 8:30 p.m. against Belvidere North in the Webster Tournament.

The schedule doesn’t get easier as they face defending state champion McCluer North in the first regular season game Dec. 13. They close the regular season against De Smet, currently ranked No.1 in the stltoday.com large school division.

“I like their work ethic, they work hard. There’s talent, we just have to focus it playing together,” Traxler said.  “A lot of these guys haven’t seen significant varsity minutes before, so it’s a one-day-at-a-time process.”