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For Richmond High School, the 2008-2009 Basketball season looks to be full of promise. Coming off a campaign that saw the Blue Devils capture their first league championship in thirteen years, and with six returning players and six new faces, this season looks to be competitive and exciting.

Last season’s Blue Devils struggled early. After being picked to finish near the bottom of the conference standings and starting the season 1-3, this young version of the Blue Devils won six in a row and nine of their next ten games. With only three seniors on the roster, the team relied on team chemistry to overcome their inexperience. The Devils’ season ended with a loss to Mt. Clemens in the state tournament, and finished the season at 13-8.

This year’s version of the Blue Devils is led by six returning players form last years championship team: Seniors Jesse Depauw, Matt Pozolo, Josh Queen, Chris Schroudt, and Matt Schwab, and Junior Tommy Barrett. The veterans are joined by juniors Dustin Dagastino, Kaleb Schweiger, Nick Vansimaeys, and Cameron Wright. The team is rounded out by sophomores Joe and Nick Manchik. “We really like the makeup of our team”, said Head Coach Jim Barnes recently. “I think we have a nice mix of talent, athleticism, and character. We look forward to seeing our guys improve every day and grow as a team.” When asked about the strengths and weaknesses of this year’s team, Coach Barnes added: “well, defense and rebounding are always a priority in our program, but may be an even higher priority this year, as this will be one of our smaller teams. We lost a lot of rebounding from last year’s team, and we are really hoping our returning players can improve in that area. There may be no bigger key to winning games than rebounding offensively and defensively. That being said, I think this is one of the better shooting teams we’ve had here, and this will be one of our more versatile teams. All of our guys can play multiple spots and do multiple things, and we hope this versatility will allow us to create scoring opportunities.”

The Blue Devils are currently in the “pre-season” mode of their season, working through daily practices and conditioning to prepare for the coming season. The team has a scrimmage at home on Saturday, November 29, and plays their annual exhibition game against Cousino HS on December 5. The season officially opens for the Blue Devils on Friday, December 12 against Michigan Collegiate HS. Conference play opens on January 6 as the Blue Devils host Yale HS.

For more information the varsity Blue Devils, and the Richmond Community Schools Boys Basketball Program, please visit www.rcshoops.com.