Warriors Taking Same Approach
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
"We're not approaching this season any differently," Wawasee's 10th-year coach Kem Zolman said. "That was last year, and that was a lot of fun. We had some special moments with that tournament run.
"I don't think anyone expected us to do it, but it's unfair for this team to enter the season with those expectations," he added.[[In-content Ad]]Gone from that team are Shawn Knafel, Jessie Wolf and Megan Walker. So without those girls, and a state-runner finish under their belts, the Warriors know this season won't be any easier than last year, when they finished 22-4.
"We're not going to be able to sneak up on anyone," Zolman said. "We have a target on our back, and teams are gunning for us."
Knafel and Wolf will be missed in the post, and with Walker being awarded last season's IHSAA Mental Attitude award, her experience will also leave a void. But Zolman does return plenty of experience and talent.
"We have a group with varsity experience," Zolman said. "Kalyn Lantz is a fourth-year varsity player, Taylor Goshert, Brennan McAdams and Kylee Ort are also three girls playing their third years of varsity ball. Ashlee Ort also did some good things for us last year. She was able to get some experience during the tournament run, but we also want to see who else steps up."
Among his experienced and talented girls, Goshert sticks out. Starting as a freshmen, the junior has only continued to improve, and with another summer under her belt, she's only getting better.
"Strength," Zolman said of Goshert's biggest improvement from last year. "She's a young lady that will work on her game in the offseason."
Another girl Zolman has, who also started as a freshman, is Lantz, the team's leader at the point.
"She's well respected," Zolman said of Lantz. "Leadership is a God-given gift. You try to develop leadership, but either you have it or you don't. She hasn't changed her play since I saw her playing in the fourth grade. Obviously, she's our leader, but we do have girls that lead in other ways."
And having too many leaders isn't something the defending Northern Lakes Conference champion is going to complain about. After going undefeated in NLC play last season, the conference doesn't have any pushovers again this year, with Wawasee entering the season with a preseason ranking of No. 3, while Plymouth sits at No. 4 and NorthWood is at No. 8.
"It doesn't change from one year to the next," Zolman said of the NLC. "It's a pretty good conference and it only gets better. Northridge is only getting bigger and Goshen will be better. It's going to be a typical NLC season, where we wipe each other out."
And don't mention Wawasee's top three preseason ranking.
"That doesn't mean anything," Zolman said. "The rankings speak well for our conference, which is a good thing."
The only ranking Zolman will be concerned with will be the one at the end of the season. But between then and now, he's only got one goal.
"We just want to be better after the first game," Zolman said, speaking of Friday night's home game against Westview.
"We're not going to sit down and put goals on paper. We've never said we want to win conference or a certian amount of games. We do say we want to win sectional, because our goal has always been to win a state championship. That's been the goal since I got here. But in order to win state, you first have to win sectional, regional and semistate.
"Right now, we just want to be better in the second game than we were in the first."
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"We're not approaching this season any differently," Wawasee's 10th-year coach Kem Zolman said. "That was last year, and that was a lot of fun. We had some special moments with that tournament run.
"I don't think anyone expected us to do it, but it's unfair for this team to enter the season with those expectations," he added.[[In-content Ad]]Gone from that team are Shawn Knafel, Jessie Wolf and Megan Walker. So without those girls, and a state-runner finish under their belts, the Warriors know this season won't be any easier than last year, when they finished 22-4.
"We're not going to be able to sneak up on anyone," Zolman said. "We have a target on our back, and teams are gunning for us."
Knafel and Wolf will be missed in the post, and with Walker being awarded last season's IHSAA Mental Attitude award, her experience will also leave a void. But Zolman does return plenty of experience and talent.
"We have a group with varsity experience," Zolman said. "Kalyn Lantz is a fourth-year varsity player, Taylor Goshert, Brennan McAdams and Kylee Ort are also three girls playing their third years of varsity ball. Ashlee Ort also did some good things for us last year. She was able to get some experience during the tournament run, but we also want to see who else steps up."
Among his experienced and talented girls, Goshert sticks out. Starting as a freshmen, the junior has only continued to improve, and with another summer under her belt, she's only getting better.
"Strength," Zolman said of Goshert's biggest improvement from last year. "She's a young lady that will work on her game in the offseason."
Another girl Zolman has, who also started as a freshman, is Lantz, the team's leader at the point.
"She's well respected," Zolman said of Lantz. "Leadership is a God-given gift. You try to develop leadership, but either you have it or you don't. She hasn't changed her play since I saw her playing in the fourth grade. Obviously, she's our leader, but we do have girls that lead in other ways."
And having too many leaders isn't something the defending Northern Lakes Conference champion is going to complain about. After going undefeated in NLC play last season, the conference doesn't have any pushovers again this year, with Wawasee entering the season with a preseason ranking of No. 3, while Plymouth sits at No. 4 and NorthWood is at No. 8.
"It doesn't change from one year to the next," Zolman said of the NLC. "It's a pretty good conference and it only gets better. Northridge is only getting bigger and Goshen will be better. It's going to be a typical NLC season, where we wipe each other out."
And don't mention Wawasee's top three preseason ranking.
"That doesn't mean anything," Zolman said. "The rankings speak well for our conference, which is a good thing."
The only ranking Zolman will be concerned with will be the one at the end of the season. But between then and now, he's only got one goal.
"We just want to be better after the first game," Zolman said, speaking of Friday night's home game against Westview.
"We're not going to sit down and put goals on paper. We've never said we want to win conference or a certian amount of games. We do say we want to win sectional, because our goal has always been to win a state championship. That's been the goal since I got here. But in order to win state, you first have to win sectional, regional and semistate.
"Right now, we just want to be better in the second game than we were in the first."
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