By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
The Hays High School boys' basketball team has four big men of varying heights, weights and experience.
Senior Travis Pfannenstiel, listed at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, is shorter than some point guards. An all-state football player and Shrine Bowl selection, Pfannenstiel's physicality and fire hydrant-esque build make him a strong rebounder.
Senior Dan Moritz is 6-5, 200 pounds, the lone returning starter of the quartet. Moritz picked up all-Western Athletic Conference honors as a junior and has produced another strong season this winter.
Senior Jordan Niernberger, a Friends University signee, is the Indians' tallest player at 6-7, but is in his first year of starting full-time.
The lone non-senior is 6-5, 240-pound junior Zach Gaughan, the squad's biggest player and arguably the most improved Indian throughout the year.
"Zach has obviously helped us, but I would say that I consider them all pretty valuable," Hays High coach Rick Keltner said. "They are all capable of having a big night."
Keltner has had to mix and match his front-court players, a group that has upped its numbers from 2008-09 and helped Hays High improve defensively.
"Our post guys, it's very competitive in there," Keltner said. "There are only x number of minutes in a game. We have got some guys that are pushing each other."
Last season, Hays High started 11-4 and eventually finished 12-9. After 15 games in '08-09, the Indians allowed 48.1 points per game, a 38.3 opponents' field goal percentage and outrebounded opponents by plus 2.3.
In 2009-10, HHS has again started 11-4 -- but with a much stronger defensive effort. The Indians have allowed 42.4 points per game, 35.2 opponents' field goal percentage and outrebounded opponents by plus 6.9.
"We work hard in practice," Gaughan said. "They learn from my mistakes and I learn from their mistakes."
On Tuesday, Hays High will travel to Dodge City for Western Athletic Conference action. The girls' game tips off at 6 p.m. with the boys' contest to follow. The HHS boys have lost two straight to the Red Demons. Dodge City (11-2 overall, 2-0 WAC) is unranked in Class 6A, but defeated Wichita Sunrise Academy 44-40 on Friday, ranked as Kansas' eighth-best team by masseyratings.com. HHS is 3-0 in the conference, and has not started 4-0 since a 7-1 conference season in 2005-06.
Senior point guard Dexter Pfeifer leads the Indians with 9.6 points per game, while senior Derek Meyer averages nine a game and has made 34 3-pointers; only nine players in school history have hit 40 treys in a season.
"I think when Derek was born, I told him to keep shooting the ball," Keltner said with a laugh. "I have never told him not to shoot it. He definitely is a kid we told to be ready to shoot the ball. ... He has got to be one of those guys that puts fear into the other team's defense."
Collectively, the big men up front have delivered a solid all-around season. Moritz, who averaged 6.5 points and 6.1 rebounds as a junior, averages nine points and a team-high seven rebounds this year.
Pfannenstiel (3.2 points, 3.7 rebounds in '08-09), has used his strength to average 3.1 points and 3.3 rebounds this season. He leads the Indians in field goal percentage (58 percent), scoring mainly off putbacks.
Niernberger (two points, two rebounds per game last season), averages 4.5 points and three rebounds this winter. He leads the team in charges taken and scored a career-high 11 points last Tuesday against Salina South. Gaughan, who played sparingly as a sophomore, averages 4.1 points and three rebounds a game.
'There is more to the game than just scoring," Keltner said. "Of course, we want our post guys to score, but as long as they are all playing defense, rebounding, as far as I am concerned, I don't care which one of them scores as long as they just are doing smart things on offense and defense."'
Keltner often talks about "being strong with the ball," including rebounding well and not turning the ball over. It's an area the big men have improved on after the Indians went 0-3 at the midseason Dodge City Tournament of Champions. In its first game after the TOC, HHS defeated Abilene at home and outrebounded the Cowboys by seven.
"I thought we blocked out better than we did all year," Keltner said.
After a win against Salina South, the Indians outrebounded Garden City by nine in a road win Friday.
"I thought we were strong with the ball," Keltner said.
Gaughan has especially been better throughout the season.
'We want them to be strong every time, and I think Zach is getting more consistent consistently strong," Keltner said. "... Zach is a big ol' strong guy. It's not a baby, it's a basketball."
Gaughan, an all-conference lineman for the Indian football team, learned a lesson that's carried over to basketball from HHS football coach Ryan Cornelsen.
"He told me to stay aggressive," Gaughan said.
After the first eight games, Gaughan averaged 2.5 points. Since then, he has tallied 6.1 points per game, forcing Keltner to mix personnel inside.
"Zach is a guy who is grabbing his opportunity and is starting to be more productive," Keltner said. "That is really going to help our team."
Indian girls face Dodge City
The Hays High girls (4-11, 1-2) will face Dodge City after they lost 59-40 at Garden City on Friday. Sophomore forward Paige Lunsford led the Indians with 14 points.
