Basketball preview: Lady Pirates looking to right the ship
In the words of 19th-century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: "In every life some rain must fall."
The description fits the Polson Lady Pirates, who got an extra drenching last season.
Low initial turnout was compounded by a rash of injuries as Polson literally limped through last season.
Returning leading scorer Mossy Kauley saw limited action in a handful of games before an unhealed leg injury ended her season. Ali Kienitz, a 6-foot transfer, was unavailable until the latter stages of the schedule while awaiting clearance to play. An assortment of nagging injuries sidelined other players for quarters at a time if not multiple games altogether.
As the new season sets sail, coach Antos endeavors to guide the Lady Pirate into deeper waters and a brighter future.
Antos envisions a high-octane, fast-paced "chuck and chase" offense that will emphasize team speed. He’ll also look to employ an in-your-face defense that will not only hamper opponents, but also create transition opportunities.
But like the adage "Rome was not built in a day," realistic transformation will likely take place by incremental metamorphosis rather than instantaneous turnaround.
Achieving a semblance of continuity from game to game posed a daunting challenge last season as a fledgling squad faced healthy opponents with multiple seasons of experience. Quarter-by-quarter point productivity often languished among low single digits over the course of multiple games. Yet at other times, the team responded with quarters of genuine competitiveness as they climbed into double figures, only to have their opponent adjust their defense to shut down their progress.
The Lady Pirates graduated four seniors who accounted for less than 20% of team scoring productivity last season, but their height accounted for a larger swath of rebounding. The team also took a hit with the transfer of promising 5-10 sophomore Ilysia Adams, who was among the team’s top rebounders and shot blockers.
The nascent season begins with a trio of senior returnees in Kauley, SaVanna Carpentier and Anna Cogar. Kauley holds dual century-club credentials for career scoring as well as rebounding. The 5-5 guard Carpentier, a proficient ball handler as well as sharp-shooter, saw limited action last season on account of a shoulder injury that is now mended. The 5-6 guard Cogar made contributions across the categories in a supplemental capacity last year and is anticipated to be more productive with a season of further seasoning.
Rounding out senior returnees will be 5-6 forward Kyree Lindquist, a contributor on the developmental squad last season.
Lending crucial bench depth will be an influx of soccer savvy seasoned seniors that include Grace Hobbs, Ali Hupka, Lilly Armstrong and Megan Rost. The quartet share eight all-conference accolades between them and know how to execute a give-and-go.
Lady Pirate fortunes will be bolstered by an influx of juggernaut juniors. Hardin transfer guard Jaivin BadBear infuses the lineup with skill sets honed within the Eastern A Lady Bulldogs program that has advanced to the State A title tilt the past four seasons.
Junior returnees include Jazlyn Dalbey and Turquoise Pierre, who both minted double-digit varsity career highs last season. Dalbey splashed a quartet of triples from beyond the arc in one contest, while Pierre is more proficient around the paint. Other juniors include Gianna Fyant, Arly Teaff and Kamdyn Burrough.
Ambidextrous ball-handling sophomore 5-6 guard Grace Simonich contributed to scoring in a half dozen contests last season, displaying a penchant for pilfering possessions and dishing assists.
A pair of freshmen who will contend for varsity minutes include Julia Barnard and Mckenna Hanson. Barnard, otherwise known as Jules, is a gem in the making liable to sparkle under the lights. The accelerated capabilities of Hanson derive from an upbringing within a coaching household.
Incoming freshman cracking a varsity lineup is not a typical occurrence and reflects an early harvest cultivated from the labors of former coach Joe Quinn, former collegiate players Betsy Wade (Dartmouth) along with Mariah Newell (UM-Western) and Nicole Camel in developing deeper skill sets within the middle school basketball program. At such an early juncture of preseason prep, modifications to the lineup could take place at any point as the season progresses.
Coach Antos embraces the challenges that lie ahead that will facilitate the process of getting a program that has struggled in the past to turn a corner.
"We have a huge mountain to climb. That climb started two months ago in the weight room and now it’s a long step by step grind to the top."
The Lady Pirates will get early opportunities to test their newly refined skill sets as their first three opponents include the established programs of Hamilton, Columbia Falls and Frenchtown.