Some of the girls listed on Warsaw Community High's varsity girls basketball roster aren't old enough to drive a car yet.
Third-year coach Michelle Harter hopes they're ready to carry on the rich tradition of the Lady Tigers."The young kids worked hard over the summer," said Harter, whose team opens the season Saturday by hosting Huntington North. "They listened well, they meshed, and they want to get better. We lost a lot of girls from last year's team, but we've got some experience back, and the young kids we have are talented."
The Lady Tigers won the Northern Lakes Conference championship last season with a 6-1 record and posted a 16-6 record overall, losing in the sectional championship game to Elkhart Memorial.
Nine players graduated from last year's team including starters - Kelci Freds, KaeLee Sands, Sarah Shilling and Cendall Ogle.
Freds, a four-year starter, led the Lady Tigers in scoring with 14 points per game and was the Times-Union Area Player of the Year.
This year's varsity roster includes seniors Kayla Stout and Paige Wood; juniors Madi Davis, Lauren Burish, Brooke Kline and Sarah Heagy; sophomores Jennifer Walker-Crawford and Lindsay Baker; and freshman Ashley Ousley, Eryn Leek, Brooklyn Harrison and Nikki Grose.
Stout is the leading returner after averaging nearly 11 points and six rebounds per game.
"Kayla Stout continues to amaze me," said Harter. "I've been impressed by how much she's improved each year, and she made some more strides this summer. She's a great post player, but she handles the ball well and she's really worked on her outside shot."
Baker played in all 22 games last year as a freshman and averaged five points per contest.
"We don't have a lot of varsity experience, but we have talented basketball players," said Harter. "We're going to be young, and we're going to make some silly mistakes, that's part of it. But I know this team will work hard to get better."
Warsaw's junior varsity team posted an 18-2 record last year.
The Lady Tigers are blessed with some height, as Baker and Grose are listed at 5-foot-11 and Walker-Crawford, Stout and Heagy are listed at 6-0.
Warsaw will play its first three games in the Tiger Den. Following Saturday's season opener with Huntington North, the Lady Tigers will host Fort Wayne Luers Tuesday and Tippecanoe Valley next Friday.
Warsaw will open NLC play Dec. 18 when it entertains rival Wawasee.
"Elkhart Memorial has three really good players back," Harter said when asked who might be the favorite to win the NLC. "Northridge has a lot of kids back and they're really coming on strong. You always have to mention NorthWood and Plymouth. They have great coaches, and they always have those kids that work hard. We're young, but I think we can contend for the conference championship. That's the mentality that I want these kids to have."
