Blackhawks working 'how to get there'

CHENEY – As if the pure idea of trying to navigate the first season as a head coach in charge of a struggling program was not enough in itself, Travis Peevey had another obstacle drop in his path last season.

While taking the necessary steps to improve upon the 4-15 record the Blackhawks had during the 2021-22 season, along comes news that one of the key cogs would miss the league season with an injury.

Not long after Cheney surpassed the previous season's win total topping Wenatchee on Dec. 30 it was revealed that junior Evan Stinson - an All-Greater Spokane League selection as a sophomore - would be lost with what turned out to be a stress fracture in his foot.

The 2023 portion of the schedule provided just one win in 12 outings to finish 6-14 overall following Stinson being forced to change from basketball shoes to a plastic boot, planting himself on the bench.

"It was terrible sitting on the sidelines not being able to help my team on the floor," Stinson said. "But I think I got better as a leader. In that time, I just got to see the game a different way."

But that's ancient history now as far as the 2023-24 Blackhawks and Peevey are concerned.

"After last season we kind of got together as a team and decided to say, 'Hey, what do we have to do to turn the corner here?'" Peevey said at the Nov. 18 Cheney media day.

"We know it's possible, but we didn't know how to get there," he said.

The first step was to make more time with each other and to further develop skills.

"We're going to play all spring, we're going to grind, we're going to be in the gym," Peevey said. Spring's grind turned to summer with hard work at the center of the effort.

Stinson, who averaged 23.1 points in his last full season, is back having just signed to play college ball at Washington State.

And as a senior leader, Stinson seems to have a finger on the pulse of the team.

"I know everybody here has bought in," he said at the press event. "Everybody's in the same mindset, we all have the same goal. The only real difficult part is making sure nobody strays," Stinson added.

Alex Hinrichs, Jakeb Vallance, Tyler Ashcroft were all lost to graduation but there are equally familiar faces to take their places.

Along with Stinson, filling those shoes, Peevey said, would be names like three-year letter winner Connor Magalsky, Grayson Burton, a two-year letterman as well as juniors Liam Carver and Carter Ittner.

One additional thing, aside from the regular skills preparation is the knowledge the GSL presents a serious challenge.

"We've made it very clear to our athletes here that this is 3A, the real deal," Peevey said. "There's serious competition and you have to meet that standard."