AA girls basketball: Wolfpack, Bravettes geared up for openers
Totally revamped and overhauled, both the Glacier and Flathead girls basketball teams come into this season with a clean slate.
Glacier, which went to the state tournament for the first time last season, brings back one of the top players in the state in junior Cassi Hashley. The versatile post player was first team all-conference last season and will likely have to carry the brunt of the scoring load for the Wolfpack after all-state point guard Nicole Heavirland moved away in the offseason.
“She’s going to be our go-to girl,” Glacier coach Kris Salonen said. “What’s really nice with an athlete like her is she’s so strong you can put her in the post, but if we need someone who can shoot the three, she’ll step out.
“In the same sense, a lot of teams know that, so she’s going to get doubled and tripled.”
With all of the focus likely on Hashley at the beginning of the season, senior guards Kailea Vaudt and Kirstyn Haugenoe will take on a bigger part of the offense, stretching defenses from the perimeter.
“I think we’re a little more versatile this year on the perimeter,” Salonen said. “It’s going to make us a little bit of a better offensive threat. The girls that are going to be on the court aren’t just going to sit back and not shoot the ball. They’re used to shooting it and scoring it.”
Another one of those scorers is senior forward Rachel Chery, a player that sparked last season’s run to state.
“You’ve got that one kid that’s the glue on the team that does the scrappy things,” Salonen said. “She plays pretty smart. She gets a lot of the trash.”
Chery, Hashley and forward Hannah Atlee are expected to front what will likely be one of the best defenses in the state this season.
“We’re definitely going to take pride in our defense again this year,” Salonen said. “We’re one of the top teams in the state defensively. We definitely expect our girls to be there again.”
Defense is also what Flathead hopes to center its team around this season. The Bravettes are replacing three starters from last year, and will be very young and comparably small to the rest of the conference.
“We don’t have a lot of height but we’re pretty quick and athletic so we have to use that to our advantage,” Flathead coach Karly Tait said.
“On the defensive end we’re going to be looking to change up our defenses and doing some pressing and half-court traps. Offensively, we hope we can score from those defensive sets.”
Leading that offense will be speedy guard Emma Andrews, an all-conference player that can be a dangerous scorer.
“Teams are going to be on the lookout for her,” Tait said. “She’s going to have to play through a lot of defensive pressure. Which will make her a better player.
Junior post player Jenessa Heine also returns from last season’s squad, as do seniors Dani Davis, Emily Russell and Jessika Abbrescia.
“Jenessa had a great offseason so we’re looking for big things from her,” Tait said.
“Dani, Emily and Jessika all are capable of doing good things, they just don’t have a lot of varsity experience. This is their time to show everybody what they can do.”
While defending state champion Missoula Sentinel is expected to stay atop the Western conference, the other three spots at state are wide open, and both Flathead and Glacier feel they are good enough to make it to Bozeman.
“It’s going to be fairly competitive,” Tait said.
“I think we’ve really got a great chance to be competitive and earn a trip to state this year.”
They’ll be fighting against Helena Capital, which brings back a tough squad, and Helena High, which is hurting from its own defections after its pair of tall posts decided not to play their senior season. Hellgate and Big Sky, like the Kalispell schools, will be playing young this season.
“I feel like we’re very capable to be in that top three,” Salonen said.
“But, there’s a lot of basketball to be played.”
Glacier opens its season tonight at home against Great Falls C.M. Russell. The Bravettes host Great Falls High on Saturday to open their season.