It’s time to right the ship.

“These guys just want to win,” Chesterton boys basketball coach Tom Peller said. “They really don’t care who scores the points. They just want to win and change the culture around here.”

That appears to be the theme coming out of CHS as the 2012-2013 boys basketball season gets started tonight when the Trojans host Hammond Morton. The junior varsity game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tip.

“Our expectation level is so much higher,” Peller said. “We’ve got so many returning guys that have played a lot of varsity minutes. You can’t coach experience and we’ve got guys that have that even though they are fairly young.

“I believe we have the depth and skill level to compete with the best teams in the conference and the area.”

Chesterton returns four starters from last season’s team, but still will look young on the roster.

“These young kids have taken their lumps and I think they are ready for the big stage,” Peller said.

Those young kids will include the high-powered trio of junior Cole Teal and sophomore’s Chris Palombizio and Matt Holba.

“Cole is playing with a lot of confidence and Matt is as athletic as anybody I’ve seen in a long time,” Peller said. “Chris had as good an off-season as anybody around. He’s shooting the ball great and it’s almost a surprise when it doesn’t go in.”

Junior point guard Corey Rusboldt returns from a back injury to take over the reigns as well.

“Corey’s back is healthy and he hit 5-of-7 from 3-point range in the scrimmage (against EC Central),” Peller said. “He handles the ball and has really gotten better.”

The Trojans will also feature a deep and talented bench.

“I think the surprising thing for people will be our ability to go 8-9-10 deep,” Peller said. “Everybody has really committed themselves to getting better in the off-season. I’m really happy and proud with the way they came into the season really ready to go.”

Inside the Trojans will look for help from Jacob Wasielewski, Brandon Roeske and Tevin Dilosa, while perimeter play comes from Donnie Johnson, Michael Thanos, Jacob Andert and Avery Beeks.

“I think we’ll be able to do several different things depending on our opponent,” Peller said. “There will be nights where we’re better off going out and getting guys and scoring 80 points and there will be night’s where we’ll need to slow things down and keep the score down.

“I think we’re experienced enough to do both.”

Defensively, the Trojans should be just as versatile.

“On the defensive end, we can press, man-up in the half court, play zone or whatever we need to do to give us the best chance to win,” Peller said. “We’re very versatile this year and when you’ve got players the caliber that we do, you can do different things.”

The Governors will bring an athletic test to the season-opener as the Trojans eye their Duneland Athletic Conference opener on Saturday at Merrillville.

“This is a good Morton team to open up and then we jump right into one of the best team’s in the area, if not the State, in Merrillville,” Peller said. “Our first three or four games are tough. We’ll find out where we are right away.”

Posted 11/28/2012