Prep Athlete: Mavericks leaning on Anderson going into section tournament

SHERBURN, Minn. (KEYC) - Like father, like son. Martin County West head coach Cliff Anderson and his son Zach Anderson is a great father and son duo like no other. Zach, who is a senior this year, scored his 1000th point last season and continues to add to his resume. Outside of his accolades, it all began at a young age.

“Zach was an eighth grader when he started getting minutes, but he’s been in our gym since he was a second grader,” Anderson said. “He was always following me around and being in the corner shooting and seeing how we do things. As he has matured and got minutes as an eighth grader, there were varsity players that accepted him like Ice Fielder, Carson Jansen and Darren Dunlap. So as he’s progressed, now with having to play with some younger kids, he brings that value to us to know how he was treat and help the younger kids also.”

Being the coach’s son is not easy though. Expectations are always high for Anderson.

“Being the coach’s kid, you have to be one of the hardest workers on the team,” Zach said. “Just coming in, day in and day out working everyday. At times, it’s not fun because you’re always getting yelled at. It’s still fun to have your dad as a coach and be with him on the sidelines and be able to talk to him about the game when you get home too.”

Anderson has exceeded those expectations which have led to his accomplishments on the court. As the Mavericks prepare for section tournament action, he knows he has to be at his best.

“I have to be able to score at all levels,” Anderson said. “I have to get my teammates involved and win games, that’s the most important part. However we do that, whether it’s other guys scoring or however we do that, winning games is the most important part.”

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