The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – A Dayton boys' basketball team that has won one game in the past two years is looking to turn its fortunes around with the help of one of the biggest stars in the school's history.

New head coach Will Hutchens says he can't predict at this point how his team will do this year, but he hopes to instill a culture that will make his team more competitive than it has been for a long time.

"We have a long way to go," Hutchens admitted, "but the goal is to get a little better every day. We'll get there."

Except for a year coaching fifth and sixth-graders shortly after college, this is Hutchens' first coaching job. But he knows what it takes to win.

Hutchens was one of the leaders of a 1994-95 Bulldog team that won the state championship in his senior year. A year earlier, the Bulldogs finished fifth at state.

"I believe that was the first time Dayton went to State since my dad's team in 1967," he said. Hutchens is the son of Bob and Anita Hutchens of Dayton. His brother Clay was a sophomore on the '95 championship team.

With dreams of playing in the Pac-10 after high school, Hutchens turned down scholarship offers to smaller schools and walked on as a freshman for the WSU Cougars.

"I got a scholarship halfway through my sophomore year," he said, "and I was on the team all four years."

As a senior, in the 1998-99 season, Hutchens played in 25 games for the Cougars and started twice. That year he was also the only Cougar named to the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team.

Hutchens and his wife, Shayna, moved back to Dayton in 2013 when Shayna took a high school teaching position at DHS.

Hutchens said more than 20 players have turned out for this year's Bulldog team. The only senior is a starter from last year's team, Zach Waggoner.

Other returning players with considerable experience are Ben Kleck, Cal Martin, Tanner Bren and Tristan Willis.

Times File Photo

Tanner Bren goes up for a rebound.

"I don't know what positions they'll all be," Hutchens said, noting that that would be sorted out in the next several practices. "They're all versatile players and they'll help us a lot."

Hutchens is joined by Assistant coach Gary Winston Jr. Winston is a former Wa-Hi star who recently completed his senior season as a guard for the Portland State University Vikings.

"I'm really pleased to have Gary join us," Hutchens said. "He'll be a great influence for the guys."

Also serving as an assistant to Hutchens will be John Donnelly, who served for many years as coach of the Dayton girls' team.

Hutchens says that he expects Asotin to be the team to beat in the SE 2B District 9 league this year, with Walla Walla Valley Academy also having an excellent team.

Dayton's season begins at home on Dec. 5 with a game against St. John-Endicott.