If the Vienna High School boys’ basketball team takes this summer’s early momentum into next season, the Eagles are going to open some eyes.

Chandler Harker, entering his seventh season as Vienna head coach and ninth year at the school, has his team’s summer off-season activities off to a impressive start despite being without one key player.

After having its team camp, the Eagles had their first summer shootouts last week at Laquey and Richland.

“We’re playing more games this summer,” Harker said. “The varsity will play around 30 games and the junior varsity should have 10 to 15 games.”

Most of the team’s summer action will be this month. The Eagles will play in shootouts at New Franklin June 9, at New Bloomfield June 11, at Laquey June 15, at Stoutland June 17, at Higby June 18-19 (four games each day), at the Vienna High School gym June 23 and at Richland June 25. In addition, the team will have open gyms throughout the summer.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Harker said of this summer. “It’s going to be fun. Offensively I think we’ll be better than most of the years I’ve coached here. This year’s group should be the best free throw shooting team I’ve had.”

The Eagles have fired out of the gate. In shootout action Vienna’s varsity went 3-0 and junior varsity 2-0 both June 1 and June 3, going a combined 10-0 last week.

And Vienna is doing it while tweaking its style of play.

Harker plans to play to the Eagles’ strengths. Without a true post player, the team plans to be active with pressure defense and in transition.

“This is the first year we don’t have a true post,” Harker said. “We really have 17 guards. Without a traditional post, we changed things up a little. We will look to run more; have more transition.

“We look to really pressure the ball, guard full-court; trap. Try to generate offense through defense. We scored over 50 points in some of the games with a running clock (last week).”

The Eagles are young but are bringing back some key pieces from last season’s squad, which finished 12-15 overall and in a three-way tie for second place in the Show-Me Central Conference.

Leading the charge are returning starters Teagan James, a 6-3 senior guard/forward who was SMCC Player of the Year after averaging 24 points and 6.4 rebounds last season, and Hunter Schwartze, a 5-10 junior guard who averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals.

Schwartze is currently seeing limited action this summer while he recovers from a sprained ankle suffered during the baseball campaign.

Among the others from last season include top reserves 6-0 junior guard/forward Talan Reeves and 5-9 junior guard Bryce Ewers along with 5-9 senior guards Jaiden Hayes and Chase Weeks; 6-2 junior guard/forward Tyler Hallahan; 5-10 sophomore guard Parker James, and 5-8 sophomore guard Paxten Jeremy.

EAGLE NOTES: The Vienna players have been active this month in their Free Throwathon. Sixteen of the players gathered sponsors to raise funds to help pay for the team’s summer basketball expenses. Each player shot 100 free throws, getting donations for each made free throw. The team shot 73 percent as a team.