Wawasee Girls Starting From Scratch
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Over the last thee years, Zolman was able to ride the success of two-time Times-Union Player of the Year Taylor Goshert, along with Brennan McAdams, Ashlee Ort and Kylee Ort to a 65-11 record that included a state finals and semistate appearance.[[In-content Ad]]With those four gone, as well as sophomore Mallory Rondeau not playing this year and sophomore Lakin Bowen transferring, Wawasee must now replace 89 percent of its scoring from last year's 20-4 team.
"This is not uncharted territory," 12th-year Wawasee coach Kem Zolman said. "We've been here before."
The last time Wawasee was here was in the 2002-03 season when Zolman had to replace the loss of Indiana's all-time girls leading scorer, his daughter, Shanna (Zolman) Crossley, who torched the nets for 3,085 career points.
After going 45-4 in his daughter's junior and senior seasons, Wawasee went 12-10 the year following her graduation.
"This is an opportunity for others to step up and score," the Wawasee coach said. "As young players last year, they didn't really feel like they had to or they felt they shouldn't.
"I'm excited to see who it will be (that scores)," he added. "We don't have just one to focus on."
Senior Kaytie Woodard and junior Amy Walker each scored 1.9 points per game last year, and that's the most of the returnees. Senior Lauren Tait started last year, but average just 1.3 points.
"These kids can score," Zolman said. "I'm more concerned with defensive tenacity. I know for the last few years, we've been based on defense."
And just like the offense, most of that defense isn't on the team this year.
With the departure of the seniors, as well as Rondeau and Bowen, Wawasee lost 87 percent of last year's steals, 77 percent of the rebounds and 95 percent of the blocked shots.
"We're going to have to do the small things really, really well," Zolman said. "We need to keep it real, real simple to begin with and then add on from there."
Wawasee opens its season at home against Westview Friday, followed by another home contest on Tuesday against Lakeland before hitting the road for a Nov. 21 contest at Fairfield.
"We're not really going to do anything different than we have in the past," Zolman said. "Our goal is to get better each day. Right now we're focused on Westview. We'll evaluate things after that, then get ready for Lakeland."
While trying to figure our who fits where, Zolman does return some girls with experience.
Along with Tait and Walker, juniors Kalyn McDaniel, Katie Allen and Jonna Wiggs all saw time last year, but Zolman is aware it will take time for the girls to gell.
"We're getting to know each other real well," he said. "We can practice, but we need to see how they do in competition, because that's a whole different ballgame. Once we do that, we'll see what we got and see who plays where."
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Over the last thee years, Zolman was able to ride the success of two-time Times-Union Player of the Year Taylor Goshert, along with Brennan McAdams, Ashlee Ort and Kylee Ort to a 65-11 record that included a state finals and semistate appearance.[[In-content Ad]]With those four gone, as well as sophomore Mallory Rondeau not playing this year and sophomore Lakin Bowen transferring, Wawasee must now replace 89 percent of its scoring from last year's 20-4 team.
"This is not uncharted territory," 12th-year Wawasee coach Kem Zolman said. "We've been here before."
The last time Wawasee was here was in the 2002-03 season when Zolman had to replace the loss of Indiana's all-time girls leading scorer, his daughter, Shanna (Zolman) Crossley, who torched the nets for 3,085 career points.
After going 45-4 in his daughter's junior and senior seasons, Wawasee went 12-10 the year following her graduation.
"This is an opportunity for others to step up and score," the Wawasee coach said. "As young players last year, they didn't really feel like they had to or they felt they shouldn't.
"I'm excited to see who it will be (that scores)," he added. "We don't have just one to focus on."
Senior Kaytie Woodard and junior Amy Walker each scored 1.9 points per game last year, and that's the most of the returnees. Senior Lauren Tait started last year, but average just 1.3 points.
"These kids can score," Zolman said. "I'm more concerned with defensive tenacity. I know for the last few years, we've been based on defense."
And just like the offense, most of that defense isn't on the team this year.
With the departure of the seniors, as well as Rondeau and Bowen, Wawasee lost 87 percent of last year's steals, 77 percent of the rebounds and 95 percent of the blocked shots.
"We're going to have to do the small things really, really well," Zolman said. "We need to keep it real, real simple to begin with and then add on from there."
Wawasee opens its season at home against Westview Friday, followed by another home contest on Tuesday against Lakeland before hitting the road for a Nov. 21 contest at Fairfield.
"We're not really going to do anything different than we have in the past," Zolman said. "Our goal is to get better each day. Right now we're focused on Westview. We'll evaluate things after that, then get ready for Lakeland."
While trying to figure our who fits where, Zolman does return some girls with experience.
Along with Tait and Walker, juniors Kalyn McDaniel, Katie Allen and Jonna Wiggs all saw time last year, but Zolman is aware it will take time for the girls to gell.
"We're getting to know each other real well," he said. "We can practice, but we need to see how they do in competition, because that's a whole different ballgame. Once we do that, we'll see what we got and see who plays where."
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