Young team has some varsity experience

The girls varsity squad returns juniors Payden Petterson and Emma Lutz, and sophomore Josie Patton, the three girls on the roster with the most varsity experience.

Petterson has been a varsity player all three years, and will play post for the Outlaws.

Coach Carl Click said, “Payden is a good shooter, but is basically a solid, intelligent basketball player. She is physical, strong down low, and has a solid mid-range shot.”

Lutz is very reliable and will manage the team from the point guard position. Click noted that point guard is probably not Emma’s natural position, but will be necessary for the team this year.

Patton started games last year as a freshman, and will be a solid presence for the Outlaws at the post position.

“Josie is very physical, strong down low, and has a reliable mid-range shot,” said Click. “I’ve quarded her in practice, so I have firsthand knowledge of her physical strength. Let’s just say I was a little sore the next day. We need her to stay out of foul trouble. Josie is a strong leader, and she does it by example with hard work in practice and an enthusiasm for the game.”

Sophomores Ellie Mayes, Hadley Schar, and Ashlynn Moffat were all in the program last year as freshmen, but due to the fact there wasn’t a JV program, they didn’t get a lot of on-court experience. They will all see more time on the court this year.

Haleigh Froehlich (sophomore) is new to Sisters High School this year, and she is a strong, athletic player who will be a complement to Patton down low.

Juniors Maddy Symonds and Anya Shockley are soccer players who decided to come out for basketball this year, and Click stated they will both help with depth at the post positions.

The freshman class is big and they come with a lot of youth basketball experience. Maggie Lutz, Ila Reid, Lilly Sundstrom, Gracie Vohs, and Juhree Kizziar are all talented, multi-sport athletes, and will also make contributions to the squad. These girls are all finishing up their spring sports, and Click told The Nugget coaches will try and get them up to speed in a hurry. They have all come to practice as often as was possible to watch and learn.

Click said, “We are young and inexperienced, and have no seniors on the team.”

The Outlaws only have 14 players on their roster, which is not enough for a JV program.

“The younger players would benefit from lots of court time in JV games, but now they get thrown into the fire of varsity basketball from the get-go,” said Click. “We’re going to try to get them ready, and expect them to learn and improve in a hurry so we can compete.”

Click is hoping that they will be able to play a fifth quarter at many of their contests. This would be very beneficial as it would be an extra period, and players who didn’t get a lot of time in the varsity game would be able to get actual, on-court experience.