After going 15-5 overall last season and 7-3 in the NOL, the Shelby Whippets will open the new basketball season next Friday at Madison against the Rams.  Shelby coach Troy Schwemley begins his seventh season as coach of the Whippets and in addition to rebuilding the team as every coach does this time of year, Schwemley is looking for a new point guard for the first time in four years after the graduation of Garrett Arnold.

Schwemley does return four varsity players from a season ago in Austin Rhode, Grant Fenner, Andrew Baird and Tristan Kehres.   The Whippets will jump right into things early with five straight double weekends including the teams opening weekend against Madison and Orrville.  Of those ten games six are at Joe Yohn Gymnasium. 

The Whippets finished second in the NOL last season to 20-0 Norwalk.  The Truckers advanced to the Division I regionals a season ago before falling to Toledo Whitmer.  Norwalk returns a number of players from 2011-'12 and are the NOL favorite once again.  But Schwemley feels his team will be able to compete for a league title.  Shelby lost 66-49 and 46-45 to the Truckers a season ago and will face Norwalk in their first NOL contest of the season on Friday, December 7th in what will be the WMFD TV game of the week that evening.