New Shanley Boys Basketball Coach Paper Wanting to Build Off End of Last Season’s Success

Tony Paper had interim tag removed earlier this week

FARGO, N.D. — Tony Paper took over a Shanley boys basketball program that was in shambles halfway through the season. Previous head coach Andrew Burns and some of his assistants were called to resign after practice by parents after a 23-point loss to Davies.

Paper came in and immediately turned things around. The Deacons won three out of four games in the EDC tournament against Valley City, Grand Forks Red River and West Fargo to make it to the state tournament as a six seed finishing the year with a winning record.

That left the program with something to be happy about for next season and Paper says he wants to keep building off the successes of how last season ended.

“They saw some of the good and bad. We played well in the EDC other than one game. We know they can play well,” Paper said. “They felt the pain of losing a couple games at state. They know what that feels like and that’s never fun. Its just the matter of them remembering the good times and the bad times and knowing how much work its going to take to get to that next level of qualifying for state yet again and making it to the right side of the bracket whether than the left side.”

The Deacons finished this past season with a 14-13 record.