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Dolphins look to outwork, outrun opposition

Jason Thompson/Gulf Breeze News David Tucker (right) guards Wade Brown during a ballhandling drill last week. The Dolphins open the preseason today in Milton. For more than a decade, Eric Reichert has been watching another coach call the shots.

Now, it’s his turn.

Reichert begins his second year with the Dolphin basketball program and his first as head coach. He takes over for Michael Brandon, who after a decade at Gulf Breeze, took an assistant principal position at Navarre High School.

The change at the top isn’t the only one to be expected.

“Running and gunning is going to be the style I’m trying to employ in the kids,” Reichert said. “Most of them are very receptive of them, cause it’s more fun. I think the fans will like it, cause it’s a lot more fun to watch.”

“If I can go a whole game without running a single play, that would be great, but I know that’s probably not going to be the case.”

The Dolphins have only six returning letterman five of them played a lot of minutes last year. But the rest of the team is new to the Reichert program, including Cameron Smith, a transfer from Alethia Christian.

Jason Thompson/Gulf Breeze News Eric Reichert enters his first season as Dolphin head coach. “He’s going to have a huge impact,” Reichert said.

Senior David Tucker has been the team’s leading scorer the last two years. He’ll be a three year starter.

Junior Doug Baldwin is back at point guard and will be joined in the backcourt by senior Dane Manfredi, who got pulled up from the JV team late last year.

The frontcourt will be led by returning seniors Wade Brown, Keith Matthews and Sam Kuhn.

Junior Brandon Creager will back up Baldwin and Manfredi in the backcourt, while sophomore Zach Andrews can play either a guard or a wing spot. Smith can play either the 4 (power forward) or 5 (center) spot, while sophomore David Hibberts can play either the 3 or 4 positions.

Jeff White is the first freshman in recent history to make the varsity squad.

“Every single one of them is going to play,” Reichert said. “With the up tempo style I’m pushing, I’ll need every pair of fresh legs I can get.”

The Dolphins will need those legs in a crowded District 1-4A, which includes eight other teams.

Jason Thompson/Gulf Breeze News Jeff White is the lone freshman on the varsity squad. “Considering the district we’re going into, which has a reputation for being very athletic, we’re going to push the ball as fast as we can up the court,” Reichert said “(We need to) get as many points in transition as we can and take what the defense gives us.”

The current district has had eight of its nine teams make the playoffs at least once in the last five years, including three (Woodham, Washington, PHS) making it last year.

“Woodham’s going to be our first real game. It’s going to be an eye opener for a lot of people, us and them,” Reichert said, adding that PHS will be strong, as could Milton.

“Milton’s going to be a sleeper with Adam Allen and (Jeremy) Tolbert,” Reichert said. “You can’t take a night off. There are no easy games and I like that. You don’t get better playing easy games.”

So what’s the key to the Dolphins’ clinching their second playoff berth in the last four years and their third in the last 11?

“We hope to push the ball up the floor, while taking control of the ball. We have to outwork the other team.

“If that happens, I think we’ll be the victors,” Reichert said.