Coach looks for improvement in second season

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  • Michael Mayfield returns for his senior season with the Weatherford Eagles boys basketball team. Josh Burton/WDN
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The Weatherford Eagles basketball team will be loaded with senior experience this season with 10 seniors on the team this year.

Coach Derrick Bull is entering his second season at Weatherford and he is ready for the season, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am being extremely optimistic,” Bull said. “With COVID-19 happening, I am hoping to have somewhat of a normal season. If we can stay healthy, we have a chance to be really good this season. We have 10 seniors this year and have lots of experience. We are going to be better in every position and am hoping for a sense of normalcy.”

Weatherford lost two players in guard Jaxon Ratterree and post player B.J. Ransome to graduation. Bull said he is excited to see his seniors step up and fill their roles.

“Jaxon and B.J. were really good players,” Bull said. “We have a bunch of guys who are going to score. I am expecting big years from Michael Mayfield and Keenan Musick. They averaged a little less than 10 points per game. I expect this whole senior class to keep working hard and they are hungry. We are really bought in and are looking forward to this season.”

Bull said the schedule will be similar to last season. There are a few differences as they are playing in the Community Christian tournament, they are playing at Jones and are only playing Kingfisher one time instead of twice like last season.

“It will be very similar to last season,” Bull said. “It is the top 4A conference in the state and it is absolutely loaded. It is going to be a tough schedule and we will have a chance in almost every game, which always is a good thing. Tuttle is going to be really good. Elgin and Anadarko will be really good. Chickasha and Clinton also will be better.”

Bull said the tough schedule can help Weatherford because when the playoffs begin, there will be tough teams and they cannot afford to lose games at that time of the season.

“This schedule is very beneficial,” Bull said. “Obviously we want to win to gain confidence. However, we want to play a tough schedule and this will prepare us for the playoffs. Having a tough schedule will benefit us in so many ways come playoff time.”

Bull said practice and scrimmages have been going well, despite the football players not being available. The football players who are playing basketball will practice this week.

“We scrimmaged Destiny Christian before our cross country players came in and did the best we can,” Bull said. “We scrimmaged Lawton Eisenhower last Tuesday and played pretty well. We go to Mangum Tuesday and they are a really good team in Class 2A. Elgin also will be at that scrimmage. We also are scrimmaging Duncan this Saturday at home.”

Bull said this season will have highs and lows because of COVID-19 and they will take it one day at a time.

“This season is going to be a rollercoaster,” Bull said. “All we can control is what we can control. It might be a situation where different people have to step up. We are just going to take it day by day and handle adversity as it comes. Expect things to not go our way and the teams who can handle this better than others will be the teams who come out in the end.”

Bull said the team should be improved from last season and he is ready for games to begin.

“I am excited for this group,” Bull said. “We are excited for the football guys to be back and cannot wait for our game against Cache. I am ready to see how much we improved in the offseason and am hoping this group of seniors get a full season.”

Weatherford opens its season, 8 p.m. December 8 at home against Cache.

“With Cache coming off a layoff from COVID-19, we should have an advantage,” Bull said. “We should be able to get out and run and we plan to play faster this season. We plan to play a little bit faster and push the ball this year. I am looking forward to this season and the kids are super excited.”