Successful Summer

If summer-camp performances are any indication, the Green Forest Tigers might be primed for another successful basketball season.

“It started fairly slow, but by the end of the summer we wound up playing pretty good,” Green Forest coach Shane Compton said.

Led by a trio of senior guards — Ali Cabrera, Tony Gonzales and Jay Pope — the Tigers won the varsity division of the Licking Summer Camp tournament at Rolla, Mo., on July 15-16. The Tigers made it a clean sweep by winning the junior varsity division as well.

Cabrera and Gonzales were named to the all-camp team, and Cabrera was selected as the camp’s Most Valuable Player.

Earlier in July, the Tigers went 6-1 in a team camp at Alpena.

“All three guards are coming back,” Compton said. “We’re just trying to find that right combination that can play together. If we can find a group that can come together and play well together, then I think we’ll have a chance to be competitive again this year.”

Green Forest lost some significant size and experience in the frontcourt with the graduation of post player Jordan McLoud and forward Isaac DeMeyer, but Compton said juniors A.J. Strain and Brayden Compton — the coach’s son — have stepped up over the summer.

“Brayden has been playing pretty well,” Compton said. “A.J. Strain has been playing pretty well. And I’ve got just a host of sophomores moving up. They’ve got good size that could help us as well.”

The Tigers had one of their best seasons in more than a decade in 2021-22, finishing 12-13. That was the most wins for a Green Forest team since 2007-2008. Compton believes this could be another successful season.

“I think we’ll be competitive again,” he said. “I was concerned about losing all that size, but these younger guys have really stepped up and given us a chance to be competitive.”