Heritage Boys Basketball: Helping out a “team deal” for Timberwolves this season

Ashton Clark’s head isn’t spinning as fast anymore.

He’s learning on the fly to be a head varsity basketball coach after Drew Preuninger’s sudden departure weeks before the season began.

It’s a lot for players to handle, and equally so for a young coach who has never had head-coaching intentions for basketball; Clark was the Timberwolves’ freshman assistant last season to simply help out at his alma mater. Now, helping out is a “team deal” this season. “We’re all helping each other out,” Clark said.

Clark knows running a program wouldn’t be possible without Chaka Kee, another mainstay from last season’s staff. The varsity assistant’s extensive coaching background allows Clark to have some stress-free days and focus on other duties that come with being a head coach. While Clark’s focus is defense, Kee takes reign of the offense in the Timberwolves’ guard-heavy team.

“I’ve been learning maybe just as much as the kids from Coach Kee,” Clark said.

Senior Sanjeet Singh, a team captain, leads a four-guard starting lineup on a Heritage team looking to make a push in the 4A Greater St. Helens League standings. While Clark, a three-year varsity player at Heritage from 2007-09, knows the school’s strength hasn’t been in boys basketball in recent years, what people won’t question is energy and effort when watching Heritage.

“We want to make sure we play with a tone of energy and give our best effort,” he said. “We felt for the most part, we’ve done that in practices and in games.”