By Ken Hansard

Independence High basketball player Javen Colbert, who plays point guard for the Bulldogs, just finished a football season that saw him pass for over 1000 yards.  Now the junior standout is hoping that the confidence he gained on the gridiron will carry over and convert to even greater success on the basketball court, “While I would obviously like to improve on individual stats from my sophomore year, the ultimate goal is to win more games and go to state.”

Colbert and the Bulldogs are coming off a season that saw them finish 9-12, losing in the first round of the playoffs to Topeka Hayden.  Following the season, Javen was able to take stock of several items in his game that he wanted to improve, “I worked a lot on my off hand.  I want to be less predictable in my movements.  However, the biggest challenge that I might run into is just keeping my composure. I’ve improved over the years, but I’m challenging myself to stay level-headed, even if something isn’t going well.”

For now, Colbert just relishes the opportunity in front of him, “As much as anything, I’m looking forward to spending time with my teammates and competing with them. I see my role as one of the leaders. As our point guard, it is important for me to be an outspoken leader.”

When asked how he thought the season might go, Colbert simply replied, “I know we are prepared for this year. This year should be really fun.”

Javen is also a standout in the classroom, where he sports a 3.4 G.P.A.  After high school, Colbert plans to continue playing sports in college, whether in basketball or football. His current career plan is to become a real estate agent.