Show New Coach Lifts West's Hopes By BOB MU MUIR m Editors Editor's note This Twi is another In a s series sedes discussing ng prep pros prospects His His' name may not be known by the fans in the local section to o a wide extent but there are very few hoop followers at West high ligh school who cant can't rattle off his name in a mere whisk of ofa a second when you ask a k who is going to handle the court chores chorea for the Panthers this season The fellow who has gained the heart of the Panther school Is Ls an Idaho boy named J Joe e Johnson who II is taking over the West drills for forthe forthe forthe the first time and has hopeful aspirations of producing the first Big Seven champion for the school The Job of handling a 3 team which ended in the lower bracket and a B team which culminated into seniors this year without registering rig reg g- g a win in their league last season is no easy task But this scribe can say ay with some certainty that West wont won't end the in the lower division this year arid and will give any of the teams in the Big Seven loop a run for tor their money Trodden Dog-Trodden Long Enough I West ha has been trodden dog long i enough and watch out for the Panther rasp this season Johnson Johnson Johnson John John- son Is La a man who knows the Inside in inside inside in- in side and outside of the sport and i with an average above-average group of he ha is molding a potent crew at West Ed Hale Big all Seven last year l is back at West along with Dick Cooper and Johnny Nash who wh were regulars last sea sea- son With this combination Hale combination Hale leading the long shooting attack Nash Holding do down v the pivot angle angle angle an an- gle and Cooper feeding the ball from his guard post post post-a a strong team ia Is mas massing to together ether Johnson Is running his charges from a Peterson offense which is similar to that used by th the U IOU He also will turn over a new leaf in the Panthers' Panthers defensive tactics For For unnumbered years West Vest has annually come up with the zone sone defense but this year the new lift has been added and a man to man manwill manwill manwill will be used Tough Assignment It has been a tough assignment to fill the boots of Joe Deman who coached the Red and Black school last year but Johnson has ably carried on the task Fans in inthe inthe inthe the local parts have been prone to underestimate the Panthers each year In both football and basketball basketball bas bas- but with a n group of hard- hard fighting spirited players new renovations renovations ren ren- ovations will take place this seaBon season season sea sea- son Bon in the Big Seven As over 90 of the coaches Inthe Inthe in inthe the nation will say experience makes up half halt of a 3 player Vest West has three well-experienced well crewmen crewmen crewmen crew crew- men and Don Meachem a a. burly lad who can handle tho the ball with the best of them The Panthers' Panthers first string will average near the six foot six footmark mark which is a promising promis ing factor In Its self Cooper towers towers tow tow- ers era 6 feet 2 inches Nash 6 feet 1 inch Ench Halt 5 feet 11 ii Inches and Meachem 6 feet The We ciders ciders' first test will come this week when they take to the court against Cyprus at the Deseret gym This TWI will give the fans a good perspective of what I will wUl come out but of West Vet this year |