Team Preview
Written by: Will Hoenike
Nobody in the Canyon County community of Wilder needs to be reminded that last season was tough for the girls basketball program. The team had an in-season coaching change and was unable to win any of its games. The Wildcats topped 30 points just once all season and none of its losses were by fewer than ten points.
The good news? They can wad up that piece of paper and throw it away. It’s a new season, one that first-year head coach Clay Hatfield hopes is full of growth and stability.
“I’m excited for the improvement the team that we’ll see in comparison to the last couple of years,” Hatfield told the Preview, adding that the big keys are, “Our ability to score on offense and shut down the opposition down low.”
Hatfield does have the team’s leading rebounder, senior Sabrina Winchel, back from last season’s team along with its leading distributor in sophomore Thalia Guajardo, who led the team in assists as a freshman last season.
“We have good team speed,” Hatfield observed. “But we have to increase our scoring average.”
The team averaged just under 15 points per game last season but, with a host of players returning and another year of experience under their belts, there’s reason to believe that number will make a tangible jump up. Along with Winchel and Guajardo, Hatfield’s roster returns senior Sam DeLeon, juniors Dez Sandoval, Dulce Monter and Marissa Adame along with sophomore Mayra Perez.
Post defense will be vital for the Wildcats, who don’t have a ton of size. The speed and quick hands that the team has on defense will come in handy to help overcome a lack of depth in the post.
The schedule is friendly to a team coming off of a tough season and seeking stability. The Wildcats will open with three straight on its homecourt, which includes a game against 2A Marsing and the defending Western Idaho Conference champion, Idaho City. Then, the team closes the regular season with three of four at home, including the regular-season finale against North Star Charter. Neighbor rival Notus, located about ten miles away, will make its trip to Wilder on December 12.
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