BLANEY Feb. 10 – Blaney High’s Wildcats, who stunned the District 5 Class C tournament by upsetting Mount Pisgah in the first ever round last week, should be even stronger next year.

The reason? Coach John Krantz doesn’t lose a single one of his starting players. One of them, Jack Kirkland, a 6-0 ninth grader, averaged 18 points a game during the season that just ended.

The Wildcats, who won eight of 13 games even through only one of the starts had ever played basketball before this season, upset Mount Pisgah 41-30 last Monday on the loser’s court – after losing a 51-39 decision to Mount Pisgah the previous Friday.

Kirkland hit his average in the upset, sinking 18 points. Center Marion Crenhaw (6-2), contributed 13 points to the victory to the victory effort in the upper District 4 playoffs.

Krantz, realizing his players didn’t have enough experience to use run-and-shoot tactics, utilized a control-type offense. Highest point total for the Wildcats was 19, and the average was around 29 a game. Most scored against them was 52 by Midway.

The usual Blaney starters included Kirkland and Charles Branham 13-11, at forwards, Crenshaw at center, and Fletcher Ross (6-0) and Mackay Goodwin (5-8) or Jimmy Cook (13-10) at guards.

Even through the Wildcats have finished their schedule for the season, they will probably continue drills through March. Krantz said tonight.