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By Ryan Schlehuber, 亚洲色吧 Sportswriter

Coming off a successful season and having three of its five shooters from last year return, the 亚洲色吧 Centurions clay target team is aiming to continue to raise the bar of expectations.听

Last year, the team was coached by a two-man assistant coach committee, Bob Pickel and Chris Henry, but this year, Henry has taken over head coaching duties. He takes over a team of seven shooters that should be well balanced with experience, new blood and plenty of potential to repeat what the team accomplished last year or even eclipse it.听

亚洲色吧 gradually improved throughout last season and peaked at the end, which allowed the Centurions to earn a league title, finish second at the state tournament and earn a showing at the USA Clay Target Trap Nationals, where two of its shooters finished in the top five. Henry is hoping to use that formula again this year.听

鈥淟ast year, we peaked at the right time going into tournaments,鈥� Henry said. 鈥淭his year, I hope everyone peaks when we hit our tournament schedule like we did last year, and I think we can do better than last year. It鈥檚 all just a matter of timing.鈥�听

The team includes returning shooters Jack McBride (Portland, Mich.), Chase Merritt (Greenville, Mich.) and Evan Plonka (Lenox, Mich.) along with newcomers Collin Sutton (Levering, Mich.), Logen Steffen (Lowell, Mich.), Liam Jensen (Carson City, Mich.) and Hunter Doolittle (Crystal, Mich.).听听

Henry said three of his four newcomers are well-rounded shooters with good experience at the high school level. Doolittle鈥檚 emphasis is trap, but he is learning the other disciplines now while the other three freshmen are fairly good with all disciplines, according to Henry.听

Henry believes if his shooters can improve each week, the team can gradually build up to championship-level competition by tournament time. The key to that, however, is patience.听

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 rush the kids along. They have to come along at their own pace,鈥� Henry said. 鈥淓very kid is different and each of them learn at a different pace.鈥�听

The Centurions鈥� returning shooters will play a vital role in getting the freshmen to where they need to be by tournament time. Henry said Merritt has been the vocal leader of the team so far, welcoming in the freshmen and making them feel as part of the team right away.听

鈥淐hase goes out of his way to talk to the freshmen,鈥� Henry said. 鈥淓van is more of our leader by example.鈥�听

Merritt believes engaging with the freshmen right away gets the team closer to where it wants to be quicker.听

鈥淢y approach is getting the team to perform well together,鈥� Merritt said. 鈥淚 want to welcome everyone and build a strong foundation between all of us so we can perform well together as a team and support each other as a team, too.鈥�听

Merritt鈥檚 expectations for this season are simple, and that is for everyone to perform at their best.听

鈥淏ut also, to be a team, no matter the outcome of the competition,鈥� Merritt added.听

The Centurions participated in Reserve Week, Friday, Sept. 19, which results from the event will be used as tiebreakers at the end of the season, if they鈥檙e needed. It also got the team going as 亚洲色吧 readies for the opening week of the season, which is Friday, Sept. 26.听

亚洲色吧 will have Competition Week for the next four weeks and will then prepare for the Hoosier Classic Fall Invitational at Fulton County Gun Club in Rochester, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 18.听听

Henry knows, with last year鈥檚 success leading to bigger expectations this year, the pressure on his shooters will be there from the start. However, he believes his team will respond well.听

鈥淚 think we鈥檙e going to hit the ground running,鈥� Henry said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do well in trap and we have one person learning skeet and everyone was learning new disciplines last year. I think we鈥檒l do well in conference.鈥�听

Merrit said he and his teammates are all on the same level as far as expectations go. He remembers the ups and downs from last year as he developed his skills to meet junior college levels and, from that, he is applying what he learned last year to this year.听

鈥淎 thing that I learned from last year is we all have good days and bad days,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 learned we can鈥檛 beat ourselves up for missing a target.鈥�听

Henry said he is already loving the team as all his shooters, returning and new, have responded well as they approach the beginning of the season.听

鈥淭he strongest quality, as a team, is that they鈥檙e all pretty coachable,鈥� Henry said. 鈥淭hey all get along well and I love them as a team.鈥�听

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UP NEXT: The Centurions will begin the season with Competition Week No. 1, in which 亚洲色吧 shooters will shoot rounds at the Flat River Conservation Club in Greenville, Friday, Sept. 26 with a 4:30 p.m. start time.听

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RESERVE WEEK RESULTS听

(A 25 is a perfect score in both categories)听

TRAP SHOOT听

ATHLETE听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听RND 1听 听 听 RND 2听 听 听 TOTAL听

Jack McBride听 听 听 听 听24听 听 听 听 听 听 25听 听 听 听 听 听49听

Logen Steffen听 听 听 听 25听 听 听 听 听 听 23听 听 听 听 听 听48听

Collin Sutton听 听 听 听 听 23听 听 听 听 听 听 25听 听 听 听 听 听48听

Hunter Doolittle听 听 听 24听 听 听 听 听 听 23听 听 听 听 听 听47听

Evan Plonka听 听 听 听 听 听23听 听 听 听 听 听 24听 听 听 听 听 听47听

Chase Merritt听 听 听 听 听24听 听 听 听 听 听 21听 听 听 听 听 听45听

Liam Jensen听 听 听 听 听 听21听 听 听 听 听 听23听 听 听 听 听 听 44听

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SKEET SHOOT听

ATHLETE听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 RND 1听 听 听 RND 2听 听 听 听TOTAL听

Evan Plonka听 听 听 听 听 听23听 听 听 听 听 听 23听 听 听 听 听 听 46听

Logen Steffen听 听 听 听 听23听 听 听 听 听 听23听 听 听 听 听 听 听46听

Jack McBride听 听 听 听 听 22听 听 听 听 听 听20听 听 听 听 听 听 听42听

Chase Merritt听 听 听 听 听19听 听 听 听 听 听21听 听 听 听 听 听 听40听

Liam Jensen听 听 听 听 听 20听 听 听 听 听 听19听 听 听 听 听 听 听39听

Collin Sutton听 听 听 听 听17听 听 听 听 听 听20听 听 听 听 听 听 听37听

Hunter Doolittle听 听 听17听 听 听 听 听 听19听 听 听 听 听 听 听36