By Ken Hansard
Ty Scheck, senior shooting guard for the Dodge City Demons, was a 6A Honorable Mention player as a junior. He was additionally named Second-Team All-League in the competitive Western Athletic Conference. Regardless of those personal accomplishments, Ty has had to live an entire year with a disappointing first round playoff loss, “After we were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs, my teammates and I made it a point to remember that feeling and to use it as inspiration for this upcoming season.”
Scheck and his teammates won’t have to wait long to test how far they have come. The Demons are in the unique position of playing in the Dodge City TOC in December, “I’m looking forward to the TOC. We always play really good teams there, and I think if we can learn from those games and build as a team, we can make a good run this year. Last year we played three or four teams that made a run at state, and I hope that we can be one of those teams this year.”
If the Demons are to break into the ranks of the state’s top teams, Scheck will likely need to lead the charge, a responsibility that he is more than happy to assume, “Leading others has always been one of my strengths, and I have worked at ways I can improve and push others to lead with me. I’ve also worked on my driving skills, because I felt like last year, I let the team down by settling for easy shots. I have a great shot, but my game comes to me easily when I drive – whether to score or to kick it out for the next guy to shoot.”
Scheck is quite aware that his role as a leader puts him squarely in the spotlight, but he also relishes that idea, “I understand that being a leader can come with some backlash, but my teammates always know I have their backs. I also know that I will have to show up every night, whether that be scoring, rebounding, assigning, or defense. Regardless, I will be ready.”
Scheck stays busy outside of basketball season. He also plays football and baseball for the Demons, and he is a member of the WAC leadership team. He carries an impressive 4.0 GPA and hopes to continue his athletic career at the next level.
