MONTICELLO — The Ponies are coming off back-to-back Six Rivers East championships, but in the process have graduated most of the key cogs from those teams.

This past offseason alone four all-conference players graduated, including two-time conference player of the year and first-team all-state pick Peter Gustafson.

“We have a number of upperclassmen that have played in our system for years, however the majority of them are inexperienced at the varsity level,” said coach Mark Olson. “Our goals are to work hard every day and see improvement game to game.”

Seniors Cade Ace and Evan Guenther are the two most experienced players returning. They combined to average 4 points per game last winter. 

Five other seniors and six juniors will jockey for minutes on the court. 

“We have many interchangeable parts,” Olson said of his team’s strengths, as much of this year’s roster can play multiple positions and defend players of all sizes. Challenges include the simple lack of varsity experience, “and possibly height,” Olson said.

Olson agreed with many other coaches in the conference in that the league title is up for grabs this winter. He sees Barneveld, Black Hawk and Albany to settle in among the top teams at the end of the season.