By BEN MURPHY
Cleaver Sportswriter
A year ago, the Clare girls basketball team had quite a bit of success. The Lady Pioneers went 19-6 overall, took second in the Jack Pine Conference, finishing just behind Meridian and they also won a district championship.
“The girls had a good year last year, finished strong and lost to a really good Ludington team in regionals,” second year head coach Shane Kelly said. “I am excited to build off that, we return our top seven scorers from last year.”
The Pioneers got an early look at their team Saturday, in a scrimmage against a quality Roscommon team. So far at least it seems like they’ll be picking up right where they left off.
“The girls performed really well,” Kelly said of the scrimmage. “They are working harder at becoming better. I can see the fruits of their labor so to speak. I can see them getting faster, more confident and it is a lot of fun to see.”
On this years’ team will be seniors Maddison Jones (all-conference honorable mention), Kendra Fouts (first team all-conference), Tessa Kelly (first team all-conference), Addie McMillan, Fiona Mulero, juniors Olivia Forsberg, Mallorie Louch, Marlee Clark, Syerra Mills and sophomores Sophia Buzzelli (all-conference honorable mention), Amelia Ryzyk and Breez Yarger.
“This year is going to be a little different than years’ past, I plan on going 10 deep with these girls just rotating in and out with the talent that we have,” Kelly said. “I think it will definitely be a fun year.”
The fact that Clare has their top seven scorers back from last year and plan to go 10 deep in the rotation is pretty encouraging.
“It helps a lot, a lot of the girls have been there, they know what we expect as a program, they know our culture, the work ethic and they are committed and pushing each other,” Kelly said. “It was a little bit of a culture shock last year when I came over from (being in the boys’ program), but they worked hard and they are doing it again this year. They know what it takes to play at the level I expect them to play. Our practices are extremely hard, but it makes the games easier for them.”
Clare would like to win the new-look Jack Pine Conference this year and then make another, if not even longer run in the post-season once March rolls around.
“We want to win our half of the conference and get in the conference championship and battle whoever we are going to be playing and win a district championship and keep advancing,” Kelly said. “The main goal is to get better every single day and push each other, if we do that and don’t take any steps back, the sky is the limit for this team. We are aggressive, we play up-tempo and really tough defense and if you can bring that to every game, I think you are going to have a chance.”
Clare opens the season at home today (Thursday) against Shepherd, in what could be a crucial early season JPC contest. They also host Ogemaw Heights on Tuesday and will stay at home to take on Farwell on Thursday, Dec. 12.
“In our half (of the league), Shepherd is going to be really good, Gladwin is going to be good, Standish-Sterling as well,” Kelly said. “The other half with Meridian and Beaverton, the conference is going to be very solid. There’s not going to be any easy games.
“It’s a little different this year, we’ve never started out with the first game being a conference game, let alone Shepherd is going to be a very good team,” he added. “Normally we get our feet wet with a non-conference game btu this year we are going right into it with the first one against Shepherd.”
© Clare County Cleaver
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