Shields Valley Rebels

chance of knocking off Shields Valley High School starts with negating the Rebels’ longest standing veterans.

Senior Mike Gagen is an all-state sharpshooting point guard and the team’s lone four-year letter winner.

Joseph Desch is a lanky 6-foot, 5-inch post, and arguably the most dominant big man in district 11/12C, a league proven to be the best in the Class C ranks.

But you’d be wrong, according to the Rebels two standouts.

Shields Valley High School boys basketball team has the ability to attack its opposition in a myriad of ways, according to Desch and Gagen.

Bruising senior forward Seth Swandal isn’t afraid of setting up in the paint and pounding his way to a layup or knocking down a 3-pointer.

Senior guard Cody Kerkaert brings a multitude of talents and has been Shields Valley’s leading scoring in three out of its last five games.

If the opposition doesn’t take care of the ball, Rebel defensive studs Matt Sarrazin and Levi Sarrazin make them pay for it with steals and quick layups.

“We have good team chemistry,” said Gagen. “We’re good friends on and off the court. We know each others strengths.”

“We have a really unselfish team,” said Desch. “We like to see each other being successful.”

That team-first mentality has been pivotal in Shields Valley entering the second-to-last weekend of the season boasting an 11-2 overall record and a 8-2 mark in league play.

“Having all this talent on one squad has backfired for more than a few teams,” said Rebel coach JB Boyd. “We’re different because of our unselfishness. That, and we play with a lot of heart.

 “Joe and Mike are great players, but we regularly spread the scoring load out to eight, nine, even 10 players.”

But the Rebels success hasn’t translated into a lot of hype.

In the weekly Associated Press Class C Power Polls, the Rebels have yet to be recognized this season.

Stanford, a squad the Rebels defeated in early December, is ranked 11th.

Shields Valley’s only losses this season are to two of the best teams around, Twin Bridges Falcons and Manhattan Christian Eagles — teams that are mentioned in the poll.

The Falcons barely knocked off the Rebs, knocking down late free throws to escape with a seven-point decision.

Manhattan Christian held off an exhausted Shields Valley squad that entered the tilt on the heels of back-to-back road games.

“Yes, it bugs me a little,” said Desch of being ignored in the Power Polls. “The only thing we can do is go out and keep winning.”

Of their remaining four regular games, three are against squads the Rebels have already defeated by double-digit points.

The other game, Saturday’s matchup with homestanding Ennis, is a big one.

The two squads are tied for third in 11/12C. The winner is on the fast track toward wrapping up the No. 3 seed at the Feb. 15-18 District tournament.

“We have to view it as just another game,” said Desch. “Good defense leads to good offense — that’s been our strength all season.”

“We’ve got to get out and run,” said Gagen. “It sets the tone and helps us control the tempo.”

The sole goal for Shields Valley is making a run into the State C tournament, a goal made arduous solely because of the league they play in.

Fall sports in the Class C ranks featured prep football and volleyball.

Twin Bridges won the State C football title, while fellow 11/12C squad Ennis advanced to the semifinal round.

On the volleyball courts, it was a 1-2 finish at the State C finale. Manhattan Christian won it all, and Ennis was second.

“You can’t get any more dominant than that,” said Boyd. “I don’t think its a whole lot different in basketball. This is a really tough division.”

For Gagen, Desch and their Rebel teammates, that’s just fine.

“In our league, you’ve got to come to play every night,” said Desch. “That’s what we intend to do.”