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Eagles expecting Engelman to put everything together for his senior season

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The manner in which Isaiah Engelman closed out his Nixa career can be a sign the best is yet to come for his younger brother, Noah.

Isaiah was a late bloomer for the Eagles three years ago. Down the stretch of his senior season, he began to put everything together and enjoyed a 20-rebound night against Ozark.

"I would have loved to have had Isaiah for one more year," Nixa coach Brock Blansit said. "His last few weeks for us were awesome. His 20 rebounds may be a school record."

Isaiah has continued to improve athletically while attending Missouri State.

"He's gotten in the weight room and got a lot bigger. He was doing intramurals and was telling me he dominates," Noah said. "He was averaging 30 points a game is what he says."

Noah is hoping he can take similar strides toward tapping into his potential, but only at a faster rate. A part-time starter for the Eagles who was hindered by a concussion last season, Engelman is being counted on to be one of Nixa's top players this season.

The 6-foot-3 forward is ready to show off more of his game, especially offensively. 

"Last year, my role was to defend and make the right play," said Engelman, who averaged 3.3 points a game. "This year, my role has completely changed. I'm more confident. Not only am I a defensive player, I’m an offensive player.

"I think it’s going to be a big year for me as far as shooting and becoming a leader on the team, while still being a good defender," he added. "I’m looking forward to finding my shot and scoring more."

Engelman displayed more athleticism in his foray into football this fall than he has in the past on the hardwood. A wide receiver, he caught 15 passes for 227 yards and four touchdowns.

"For football, I had more opportunities to show my athleticism by jumping up to get the ball and getting touchdowns," he said.

Blansit and Nixa guard Kael Combs have seen enough in pre-season practices to confidently predict Engelman is going to be a breakout star.

"He’s one of the best defenders in the area and he’ll score more than he was expected to last year," Blansit said. "I expect Noah to come out our first game and play extremely well."

"This is his year to shine and get his name out there," Combs said. "He had the head injury last year and didn’t get the minutes he wanted to. But this year people are going to start to tune into him and what he (brings). He’s a hustler, a shooter, a smart player and one of the top defenders on our team."

Even if Engelman does put up big numbers offensively this season, he vows to still place a strong emphasis on defense.

"Defense is my favorite thing," he said. "I always look forward to guarding the best player or second-best player and try to shut them down. I find joy in that."


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