The Keota Eagles have been as good as a boys’ basketball team can be the last few years. Keota was 23-0 prior to losing in the district finals last season, marking back-to-back seasons and the fourth time in the last five years that they’ve won at least 20 games.

But, with a new season about to start, the Eagles are facing some significant changes. Four graduated starters have to be replaced, including leading scorer Sawyer Stout and all-conference honorees Cole Kindred and Evan Vittetoe.

Keota will lean on its lone returning starter in senior forward Billie Kindred, who led the team in rebounding and averaged almost 12 points and 11 rebounds per game last season.

Junior Chase Haifley will step into a starting role in the backcourt after posting over four points and two-and-a-half assists per contest off the bench, while Eagles head coach Dan Stout tells KCII Sports a host of new faces will fill out the rest of the roster.

“That’s going to be one our biggest things, just getting guys used to playing together,” Stout says. “That’s something we’ll work on early, and hopefully it all comes together before we start playing games.”

Keota’s first game of the new boys’ basketball season is December 2nd against Louisa-Muscatine.