Depth key to Titans’ success

• Mitch Meyer

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Dickinson Trinity senior Mitch Meyer, shown Feb. 1 in a game against Hazen at Knights of Columbus Activities Center, is one of four players who have big roles off the bench for the Titans.

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During the Dickinson Trinity boy basketball team’s first practice, head coach Gregg Grinsteinner said nobody rides the train for free.

That message meant everyone was going to have to contribute.

From the starters to the last man off the bench, the No. 3-ranked Titans have fed off that message the entire season.

“Everybody has to do their part and our kids know that,” Grinsteinner said. “We put kids in positions where they are going to be successful.”

The Titans’ five senior starters average 53.1 of the team’s 66.7 points per game. Trinity has is averaging a margin of victory of 23.2 points, while allowing 43.5. Jacob Volk leads the team with 20 points per game, while Isiah Binstock supplies 11.6 and Jesse Kubik adds 10.9.

Trinity’s bench supplies 12.9 points and grabs 6.2 rebounds per game. The Titans have prided themselves on being a team with a wealth of depth. Their biggest offensive weapon to come off the bench is senior forward Ben Gordon, who averages 6.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.

“Coming off the bench is a job in itself,” Gordon said. “You have to match their energy and their ability. We always get preached to bring energy off the bench.”

Trinity’s second likely candidate off the bench is Austin Deichert, a junior who spent most of the season being the lone non-senior on the varsity roster. The junior guard scores acrobatic layups en route to averaging three points per game. He said everyone is itching to get off the bench and get into the game.

“We want to be in the game,” Deichert said. “We love to play, so we want to be playing.”

The Titans also have seniors Mitch Meyer and Cody Heiser. Meyer’s job is to handle the ball, while Heiser’s is to bring a burst of energy on the defensive end.

“My job is to come in and provide a spark and take care of the ball,” Meyer said. “I’m guarding the other team’s point guard as well.”

“We all know that we have a role on our team,” Heiser added. “We know some of us aren’t going to go out there and score 20 points like Jacob (Volk) does. We all need to contribute our part to the team.”

After Trinity’s bench supplied 10 points in the Region 7 championship 64-52 win over Beulah, the Titans’ bench sets their sights on the Class B state tournament. Trinity plays LaMoure-Litchville-Marion to open up the tournament at noon MST Thursday.

“You can’t be disappointed when you win the region championship,” Deichert said. “That’s always been a dream of ours. It’s just fun to play.

“We know that we have to step up and play well too. The starters are going to get tired at some point. We have to step in and provide that spark.”

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