This week’s player to watch is senior basketball player, Ryan Schwendeman. After coming off a successful football season, Schwendeman has quickly proved to be a key player in this year’s varsity basketball team. 

A quick turnaround between seasons would prove challenging for most athletes, but Schwendeman has no problem hitting the ground running. 

“The transition is always very quick, if we would have beaten MICDS in quarterfinals I would have missed one basketball game. Luckily, playing sports year-round keeps me ready to go from the field to the court,” Schwendeman said.

Schwendeman has been a varsity starter for three years and remains to be an outstanding leader who is always there for his teammates. As a strong center player, the team relies on Schwendeman to get the job done down low. Schwendeman is a dominating force who controls the paint and stops opponents from getting off any shots.

Not only is Schwendeman good at blocking shots, he is also great at making baskets. Schwendeman recently scored his thousandth point during last month’s game against Duchesne High School. This is especially impressive because while it is common for guards to hit one thousand points, not many post players reach this milestone. 

That’s not the extent of Schwendeman’s achievements, though. Last year, Schwendeman succeeded in leading the team to the district championship. The Crusaders have their sights set on another championship this year.. 

“After this year, Ryan may just be the best men’s basketball player to come out of St. Dominic. He’s done an incredible job leading this team, and our goal is to play our best basketball come playoff time,” Coach Roberts said.

Ryan Schwendeman already has several achievements under his belt and is ready to finish his high school career strong. The boys’ basketball team rarely disappoints, so be sure to come out and support them on January 19. We would love to see you there, and you can witness first-hand the talent possessed by Schwendeman and the rest of our Crusaders.