Team Preview
Written by: Sven Alskog
Losing three All-Idaho players from a state championship team will leave some uncertainty as the Filer Wildcats embark on their upcoming season.
After All-Idaho First Team players Katie Hughes and Jenna Jarolimek departed due to graduation, along with Second Team honoree Sarah Sharp and her 6’3” presence down low, Head Coach Kody Ketterling is left with the task of finding new stars to align on the hardwood for the Wildcats in the 3A Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference.
Fortunately for Ketterling, the family tree favors basketball in Filer, with much of the new talent being asked to step up being related to the aforementioned stars.
“Returners are Haily Ackerman who is a shooting guard from the outside. She has grown over the summer,” stated Ketterling. “Chelsie Reynolds will be big in the middle helping control the inside. Meghan Hughes, who is a junior, plays big on defense and plays multiple positions. Her shooting has gotten better over the summer. Sydney Koyle who is a guard will be a passer and will look to penetrate.”
Of the four returners, Reynolds will be relied upon heavily to replace what was an unstoppable duo of Jarolimek and Sharp in the interior over the last four years in Filer. It’s no small task, but one the Wildcats hope can be accomplished after lots of hard work this summer.
Reynolds won’t be alone in trying to replace the scoring, rebounding and defensive intensity of the departed players.
“We will be looking at Kelsie Jarolimek in the middle who should give us some good minutes and play big on the inside,” said Ketterling.
The perimeter presence should again be strong for Filer, with Ackerman and Hughes able to fill the basket with jump shots and Koyle bringing it all together with a pass-first attitude, knowing she can score as well when needed.
With plenty of talent still on-deck for the upcoming season, the excitement abounds around the program.
“We are returning four players who averaged 20-25 minutes a game and know what it takes to win,” said Ketterling. “They will hopefully help in our success. We have some hungry younger players who want help make success and win some more games. We are looking to build on the success of the past seasons.”
To do this, Ketterling has put together a schedule he hopes will give his team a glimpse at what they will be facing come districts and potentially state in February.
“We have an extremely tough schedule that will ultimately help us in districts and the district tournament,” said the coach. “I think we have one of the toughest schedules in the state.”
In the new campaign the Wildcats will continue to push the tempo, utilizing their skilled guard line and hoping their new interior cogs will be able to snatch up plenty of second-chance opportunities as well.
“We will play team ball looking to push the ball up fast and play hard pressure defense,” said Ketterling.
While some may look at the losses of three All-Idaho players as too much to make a repeat trip back to the state title game, the expectations are still high in Filer for Ketterling’s Widcats as they look to make it back-to-back championships.
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