With 14 varsity and 12 junior varsity players, head coach Sue Grenfell is looking forward to a thrilling season this year. the varsity team welcomes eight new players this year.
“The players are really excited about the season. Everyone really enjoys the game, and it will be really fun to see how this young team comes together,” Grenfell said, adding that each of the new players has an important role to play on the team.
“With so many new players to varsity, we don’t have a ton of varsity experience, and we people learning to play together for the first time. So those things are challenges. But they also make the season kind of exciting, because everyone sees a lot of potential for improvement as the season goes along.”
There are a few seniors on the team, however, to help guide the upstarting athletes.
“We are led this year by two wonderful senior captains, Mia Blackmon and Audrey Allen,” Grenfell said. “They are both high-character young women. They are good students, highly responsible, thoughtful and kind people. They really care about making this season a good experience for their whole team.”
She added that the two captains are both solid and skilled basketball players. Blackmon is a great outside shooter, with a very quick first step on the drive, and is a much improved defensive player.
“Mia is aware that she needs to be one of our main scorers, and she is happy to carry that responsibility,” Grenfell said. “Audrey is one of our best all-around players, and is always willing to fill whatever role I need her to fill.”
Allen, according to Grenfell, can play almost every position and is the team’s verbal leader on the court. “Audrey has really worked on developing her ability to drive to the hoop, as well as to score from the post position,” she added.
This will be Grenfell’s fourth year as head coach. Her love of the game stems from her childhood.
“I loved all sports as a kid; my whole family is full of sports fans. But I had a really good middle school basketball coach, and I think he is why basketball became the sport I was most drawn to,” Grenfell said. As coach, her goal has consistently been to do whatever she can to help the team meet the goals they have set.
This year those goals include playing every game with total effort, no matter what the score; encouraging and supportive of teammates both on and off the court; always showing good sportsmanship; shooting at least 32% from the field; shooting at least 70% from the foul line and out-rebound the other team.
Grenfell added that the coaching staff has their own goals as well, and they include encouraging and reinforcing a team-first mindset in everyone; trying to use the team experience to promote good citizenship, community awareness, and positive leadership; teaching basketball fundamentals and court awareness to try to help each player improve and making the game and the experience a fun one!
It won’t be surprising to hear that the team considers their biggest rival to be Orcas High.
“I think the fact that they are another island team, and face the same challenges we do, makes the rivalry a natural one,” Grenfell said.
The first game against the Orcas Vikings will take place Thursday, Dec. 15, on Orcas. The Wolverine’s first home game does not occur until Saturday, Jan. 14 at noon against LaConner.
