photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Baldwin junior Leo Schoenberger, right, looks to pass to junior Cooper Carr during a 54-41 win over Field Kindley at Baldwin on Friday, March 7, 2025.

Baldwin’s boys basketball team graduated two leading scorers last year, which changed how the Bulldogs’ offense would look this season.

Junior Leo Schoenberger’s role with the Bulldogs last year was mainly as a rebounder. At 6-foot-5, he stayed in the paint and worked the offensive glass. This year, he’s built an extensive role offensively for the Bulldogs, playing off of junior Cooper Carr, who leads the team in scoring with over 18 points per game.

“This summer I put a lot of work into my shooting and finishing and getting more athletic,” Schoenberger said. “I feel like that’s helped my scoring be more confident and more assertive out there.”

Baldwin coach Don Blanchat said Schoenberger has come a long way as a shooter over the past year. Even though his personality is more passive, Schoenberger has worked hard to build an aggressive mindset when he gets the ball in his hands. That has led to his uptick in scoring output, which is now over 13 points per game.

“He’s found ways to get the ball to the rim or make shots,” Blanchat said. “And playing off of Cooper — that’s the easy part. The guy was first-team all-state as a sophomore, so he knows how to make the right basketball play.”

The two juniors are the team’s leading scorers and have a two-man game built off dribble handoffs, pick-and-rolls and more. They both have aggressive, downhill styles of offense and can put stress on a team’s interior defense. Their style of play is reflected throughout the rest of the team. Blanchat said he feels confident in the team when they are in a physical game.

Carr and Schoenberger have played basketball together for years. Their chemistry has developed over many practices and games. Each knows where the other will be on the court and where he likes to shoot from. Their versatility as scorers helps them get each other open, even if they both excel at driving to the rim and finishing through contact.

“We’ve been playing together since we were 4-foot-2,” Carr said. “We continue to work in practice, work out of practice and get connected. As you experience that, you start to connect with someone.”

Carr knew before the season Schoenberger would have to be the guy to step up and replace the production last year’s seniors left. Even though Carr holds Schoenberger in high regard, the success Schoenberger has had scoring this year has exceeded Carr’s expectations.

“I just love this guy, and he’s done so much for me opening up the court this year,” Carr said. “He’s put in so much work. He’s kept a level head throughout the year, but he’s playing his best basketball of the year, and I’m so proud of him.”

Baldwin won its substate tournament for the third straight year. The Bulldogs lost to Eudora in the first round of the state playoffs in 2023 and finished fourth in 2024. This year, the Bulldogs are heading to Salina on a mission to take that next step and finish with a championship. To do that, the Bulldogs will need their top players at their best. Carr and Schoenberger are ready for the challenge after years of falling short of their goal.

“Since the start of the year, this is what we envision,” Carr said. “We wanted to get back to Salina. Getting that done is rewarding, but we also know it’s just getting started. We’ve got nothing to lose — we’re just going to keep playing hard.”