Staloch steps up as BP’s lethal shooter

Blooming Prairie point guard Gabe Staloch has led the Awesome Blossoms’ high-octane offense since his freshman season, but his once pass-heavy role in the team’s scheme has blossomed into him becoming the main weapon.

The team has five capable scorers on the floor at any moment, but Staloch has become the team’s main option scoring 25.6 points per game.

“It’s been really cool to step into more of that role because we’ve had some incredible guys on our team over the past few years. They kind of showed me the way with me starting as a freshman, and now it’s surreal that it’s my job to step up and lead as a junior,” said Staloch.

Staloch’s development into a lethal shooter is a major improvement on the stat sheets, but the jump does not surprise him at all.

“We all put in a lot of work in the offseason, but I think a big part of it is knowing that the team trusts me to put those shots up. It’s easier to play confident when you know the guys around you believe in you – and especially when you know that they can knock down big shots too,” said Staloch.

Directly correlating with his early scoring prowess is the success of his team and his teammates.

Blooming Prairie has started its season 8-0 and its closest win has been a 13-point margin.

On top of that, the Awesome Blossoms starting lineup has seen each of its players have at least one game of scoring 10 or more points.

According to Staloch, the energy the team brings is infections.

“It’s been great. We’ve molded together as a team. It’s been fun seeing a lot of guys step up. Everyone wants to win and succeed and we all feed off of that,” he said.

Blooming Prairie’s next game will be at home against Hayfield on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m.