Marietta Indians’ Coach Kenneth Barnes looks to enter his fourth season with a 19-man
roster, one that includes several returning players who have experience.
“We’re looking to build on the success that we’ve had of winning a couple more games
each season,” said Barnes. “We lost one player to transfer, but return everyone else
along with a few new faces, giving us a big roster.”
Returning this season for the Indians are seniors Brian Sanchez, Jorge Salazar, Tucker
Kirk, and Ben Fernandez, along with junior Luis Garcia and sophomores Seth McMillan,
Jorge Remis, and Javion McCarroll.
“Most of our focus will be on defense and creating turnovers,” Barnes explained. “That
way we can get out and run on offense. Offensively, we will need to replace one of the
top scorers in the state from last season, but with this crew, we will do it by committee.
We have several guys that can score in the double digits on any given night, so we will
rely more on team offense than on any one individual.”
The team will also rely on help from senior David Rueda, sophomores Tripp Presley and
Will Rutledge, and incoming freshmen Jude Edington and Caiden McCarroll. Junior Ivan
Rodriguez is also returning from an injury that’s kept him sidelined.
“Although we have plenty of returnees and depth, we will still need to find some
leadership on the floor, particularly our go-to guy for when we need a basket in tight
games,” Barnes stated.
Barnes’s squad will rely on consistency until they can figure those things out.
“This is a season you look forward to as a coach because our numbers are up,”
concluded Barnes. “The players are searching for an identity on the floor and don’t
know what to expect, so they show up everyday and give everything they have to give.”