By Kory CarpenterRecord Sports EditorAfter consecutive turnovers to start Friday’s game against Elsberry, Wright City Head Coach Ken Brown didn’t think his players were ready to play, despite hosting a conference foe in a packed gym.“A lot of that is on me,” Brown said after his team’s 62-43 loss. “I need to get my team ready to go more than what they were tonight.”Wright City struggled to hold onto the ball all night, and Elsberry capitalized on the offensive end.Brown expected to see a zone, and he did.But it wasn’t the zone he had prepared for, and the Wildcats struggled to adjust.Defensively, Elsberry deployed a 1-3-1 zone trap, unlike the 1-1-3 defense Brown saw the Indians play against Highland earlier in the season.The extra pressure on the perimeter helped Elsberry take a 30-13 halftime lead.After the Wildcats adjusted to the initial defense and began scoring in the second half, Elsberry switched up its defense again.“We weren’t prepared for that,” Brown said. “But we’re going to be prepared for every type of zone the next time we play.”The Wildcats were able to get to the hoop throughout the night, but struggled to finish.Brown believed Elsberry was prepared for his team’s athleticism, thus the decision to play a zone defense most of the game.Senior guard Trey Saddler led the Wright City offensive attack, but like his teammates, was stymied at the rim.“I recognized that I could get into the paint, so that’s what I did,” Saddler said.Saddler finished with eight points in the loss.“We just didn’t execute on defense or box out, just the simple things,” he said. “We need to keep our turnovers down, or at least even them out between the two teams.”Saddler pointed to Wright City’s youth as the main culprit offensively.“It’s going to take some time for us to realize the pressure is real pressure,” he said.Brown said he was pleased with freshman Hunter Meyer and sophomore Devon Holmes, who combined for 14 points.The Wildcats return home Thursday to host Missouri Military Academy at 7 p.m., and Brown is convinced the early-season obstacles will lead to success later in the season.“Once the season wears on, we’ll get a lot better,” Brown said. “We’ll be a better team.”

 Trey Saddler of Wright City soars past an Elsberry defender for a layup Friday night. Wright City lost, 62-43.                     Kory Carpenter photo.