By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
From the first day of practice after Dwayne Anthony was hired as Hayden's boys basketball coach prior to last season, the enthusiasm and attention to detail was stressed immediately.
In year two, that’s no different. The intensity is higher and giving less than 100 percent is not acceptable.
Dwayne Anthony won't have his complete Hayden team together until after next Friday's state championship football game, but he has high hopes for the 2025-2026 campaign. [File photo/TSN]
“I live by a thing called push -- praying for some good success to happen,'' Anthony said. "That’s my own personal message but I try to live out that every day. We just need to show up as the best version of ourselves.
"If we’re not winning, then we’re improving and that’s the standard. We’re not coming in here being defeated, giving lackluster effort, but always winning and improving hopefully.”
Coming off a 13-9 record last season, Anthony knows he’ll have to retool his roster a little bit, but it’s simple in trying to replicate last year's success.
“Fundmentals, making sure we’re in shape and then the mentality in some of the things I believe that young men need to be taught at this age, helping them go about certain challenges, the ways to deal with ups and downs, being prepared mentality as much as being ready physically and sound fundamentals,” Anthony said.
He said building those relationships and trust right away is so key in the early going because that will empower the players to do more.
“The buy-in from my guys last year was tremendous and the buy-in that I seem to have so far and some of the energy already. I appreciate the trust that they’ve shown me so far,” Anthony said.
One familiar face the community may recognize is former Topeka High coach Geo Lyons, who will be on the bench this season with the Wildcats. Anthony said having him, along with his other staff, he loves what they all bring to the table to help push this program further ahead.
As the football team continues its quest for a state championship, Anthony will implement those players into his gameplan as they report following next Friday's Class 3A state championship game in Hutchinson.
Junior Mason Becker and senior Connor Hanika, who are both football standouts for the Wildcats, earned TopSports.news Second 10 All-Shawnee County honors last season.
Carter Compton is one of several experienced players returning for Hayden's boys basketball team. [File photo/TSN]
Anthony said there’s a mixture of guys that will contribute and one player that has impressed Anthony is junior Carter Compton.
“Having the trust in my coaches, that’s the most important thing, and it just gets you more excited for our first game of the season,” Compton said.
As for Compton himself, he said he believes the team had good momentum coming into the last game against Rock Creek and he believes the Wildcats have a state run in them.
That confidence begins with Anthony’s intensity in practice.
“He really brings the dawgs out in us and helps us be our full potential and he’s a great coach,” Compton said.
Anthony said the Wildcats want to put on a show for the city and said that will come over time.
“I think they’re going to compete,'' he said. "That’s one of my non-negotiables. I think we have some players that even though they’re young and need time to develop… I think we’re going to be able to put the ball in the basket a little bit more consistently than we did at times last year.''
