Carthage High School’s boys’ varsity basketball team enters this season with the expectation that winning is the goal. The Tigers are coming off a 16–11 campaign that marked the program’s fourth straight winning season under head coach Nathan Morris, and despite heavy graduation losses, the expectation of toughness, effort, and execution has not changed.
Carthage must replace a senior-heavy group that carried much of last year’s production, but the Tigers return three key pieces in seniors Landon Ray, Jordan Brunnert, and Zane Browning. Ray, a 6-foot-5 match-up problem on the wing and block, averaged 11 points and nearly 5 rebounds last season while also blocking 30 shots in 27 games, and now steps into the role of primary scorer and defensive focal point. He can score with his back to the basket, face up and attack, or step out and knock down perimeter shots, giving Morris flexibility in how to deploy him within the offense.
Brunnert, who contributed about 5 points and 2 rebounds per game a year ago, returns as a steady scoring option who understands the system and spacing, while Browning, efficient in limited minutes (making 11 of 14 field-goal attempts), brings physicality and rim-running ability. Together, the trio forms the core of a team that will lean heavily on its seniors for both production and leadership in the rugged Central Ozark Conference. “Now that we’ve played some games, Senior Jack Carlton and Junior transfer Kade Peskar look to add some depth on the wing,” Morris said.
The backcourt will be handed to junior point guard Henry Laytham, described by Morris as an “absolutely elite” soccer player whose speed, length, and IQ translate naturally to the hardwood. Laytham saw limited varsity time last year but now inherits the job from graduated floor general Trenton Yates, and is expected to push the pace, create for others, and grow into a lockdown defender. Senior Cooper Jackson offers shooting and defensive versatility as a guard/stretch forward, while junior Jonah Barrett steps up from an “amazing” JV season as the Tigers’ best three-point shooter.
With varsity experience thin behind those names, Carthage’s identity will again be built on effort, defense, and precise half-court execution. Morris stresses that the Tigers must “be different” by playing as hard as possible, defending at a high level, and running their sets with discipline to compensate for not always being the biggest team on the floor. The schedule, which includes hosting the historic Carthage Invitational and a trip to Arkansas to defend the Harrison Tournament title, will test this group early and often, but it also provides the stage for a new core to extend the program’s winning standard.
