BLANCHARDVILLE — If the Vikings are to have a winning record this season, the group of returning letterwinners will have to step up their game.

Last year, Pecatonica was just 6-17 overall and 4-8 in the Six Rivers East. Just two players received post-season awards and only one returns. Bo Hendrickson was the unquestioned leader on the floor last year and earned first-team all-conference honors, but has since graduated. Now-junior Hunter Enloe was a second-team pick.

Head coach Matt Fink said his team has its sights on being competitive “in a very tough conference” and that his players need to “get better every day and develop some of the younger talent in the program.”

Effort, attitude and their approach to practice and competition will be strengths for the Vikings this year, Fink said, but finding consistent scoring will pose as a major obstacle.

Joining Enloe on the court will be seniors David Tisch, Trevor Gilbertson, Skyler Garthwaite, Jaimie Owens and Keegan Kemp, as well as juniors Keegun Brunker, Wyat Mieden and Devon Doran, and sophomore Coy Ruegsegger.

Exiting the program through graduation last year were Hendrickson, Zach Pierson, Chevy Hughes and Brock Miller. “All started at some point,” Fink said of his departed players.

While the season is filled with uncertainty from outside of the program with the COVID-19 pandemic, Fink said his players will have to figure out how to stay healthy and on the court. Should the season play out as planned, he said he expects defending league champion Monticello to be the top contender to win the conference title.