Graduation took out a big chunk of the Tigers going into this season and it could’ve been worse.

Three starters (B.J. Pennington, Dewayne Foster and Brandon Jackson) are gone from the 24-5 Class 4A state semifinalists, but coach Gary Hendrix likes this year’s team.

“We’ve got some really good kids who have worked really hard over the summer and this fall,” Hendrix said. “As the season progresses and they gain experience, we should be a pretty good team by the end of rhe year, a team that other teams won’t be looking forward to playing us in the playoffs.”

The Tigers also had starting guard Stephen Keese transfer to Tahlequah during the summer, but the OSSAA ruled he would be ineligible to play there. He’s re-enrolling at Fort Gibson today, according to his father Larry Keese.

Fort Gibson, though, welcomes the return of 6-foot-4 Courtney Gaston. The All-Phoenix selection averaged 14.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last season.

Gaston, a University of Arkansas football commit, said he will be sitting out for a while to heal a deep bruise above his left knee.

“I’m going to play, but I want to get my legs back,” he said. “It’s nothing serious.”

Gaston looks forward to playing with his teammates.

“I haven’t seen the whole team yet,” he said.

Players replacing those who graduated include 6-foot-2 Billy Waltrip, 6-4 Braden Carr, 6-1 Kacey Byrd, 6-5 Thomas Keith and 6-4 Forrest Kinney.

“We won’t be as quick, but we’ll be a little bigger overall,” Hendrix said. “We’ll take some lumps ealry and we have some growing to do. That will pay off for us later in the year.

“We have a lot of new faces and places, but they have been with us a long time and they know the system. They’ve been around the same offensive and defensive philosophies since junior high. They’re getting their opportunity to play now.”