CANTON, Mo. (WGEM) -- Before you reach the top, a solid foundation has to be in place, which is what exactly Canton has built over the last two years.
With experience and talent returning across the board, something special could be brewing in Tiger Country.
"I know that we've all been pretty anxious after the season ended last year," said senior guard Austin Hoewing.
"Losing in Districts was pretty upsetting for us, and we just want to make it back to where we were."
"I think we've grown a lot," added senior guard David McReynolds.
"A lot of us played soccer, and we made it pretty far in that season, and I think that brought us closer. Now we're carrying it over into basketball season, and I think we've grown tremendously."
An extended run in the MSHSAA soccer post season meant little time to prepare for the Tigers heading into their first game, but little rust was shown in a 77-58 win over Atlanta.
"These guys had a week of practice before their first game, and we just kind of let them come out here and go that first week," Canton head coach Andy Anderson expressed.
"We did a really good job being ready for our first game, but experience is the key to that."
Anderson's team has proven that it can fill up the scoreboard, but locking down on the defensive end could be the key factor for the Tigers.
"It's very important because that leads to our fast break, and we're an athletic team for a small school," said Anderson.
"We get up and down the floor very well, but it starts with the defense getting stops and getting rebounds."
"We lost two really good defenders last year in Nick Janney and Garrett Serbin so, we need work out our kinks a little bit on the defensive end," David McReynolds added.
"I think we'll be able to get it done."
Up next for the Tigers is a home date with Monroe City on Tuesday night.
With three starters returning, the Canton Tigers hope to build on a 19 win season from a year ago.
