A young roster doesn’t stop Hays Rebel head boys basketball coach Matt Sandoval from believing his 2017 squad can compete in the rough and tumble 25-6A. 

Sandoval understands how arduous the road will be against the likes of state-ranked Westlake and Lake Travis.

But Sandoval also draws inspiration from the Rebel football team, which didn’t back down in its games against those two programs. He hopes instilling that mentality helps Hays rebound from last year’s seven win season....