Bulldogs ready for 'culture change'

ST. IGNATIUS — Mission High School’s Gus McDonald has wasted no time in turning around the Bulldogs’ program that has, by his own admission, struggled over the years.

The 2006 graduate of Mission High School said he felt the culture with Bulldogs’ basketball has “already begun to change” as they prepare for their season-opening game against Stillwater that is slated to begin Friday at 6 p.m. at Stillwater’s Gymnasium.

“My team this year is looking a lot better than in previous years (in the history of the program),” McDonald said. “For years, this basketball program has been lacking leadership, confidence and showing the intensity to win.”

The Bulldogs currently have a total of 28 players out for basketball including their freshman, junior varsity and varsity programs that McDonald has worked patiently with.

“From the younger group that has been in the program and hasn’t had very much success, their confidence has seen a major improvement from the three weeks,” McDonald said. “I’ve seen a major change from the kids who didn’t look promising. They show up to work every day and get to the gym on time. This is the biggest thing they have had to do because they haven’t had very much time off since the start of basketball season.”

McDonald said he put in a lot of time working with basketball players of all skill sets that wanted to play for the Bulldogs.

“I think that was a major turn-around for us,” McDonald said. “I expect those kids to walk into the gym and I would stay with them for two hours. I was working with six guys coming in the summer time. Our leaders and I’ve seen a different change for them. They had nothing but good wording for my kids. I tried to take what they had last year and turn it into something positive of what they have had to try to work at.”

McDonald said the one area that he is going to have to improve on is fundamentals.

“In the off season, we work on the fundamentals,” McDonald said. “It’s a whole new program and a new way of running things. I am glad these kids are willing to work to better themselves and not have another 2-16 record or whatever they have done in past years.”