November 12, 2018 at 1:20 p.m.
Team preview: RHS girls' basketball
Young but experienced Lady Hodags look to build on successful 2017-18 season
Team preview: RHS girls' basketball
But, in order to accomplish that feat, the Hodags have some growing up to do.
Sporting a varsity roster that currently features only one senior, the Lady Hodags will go back to where last season ended, Merrill, Friday to open the 2018-19 season.
"I think we have a high ceiling as a team," Clark said Saturday during a break in his team's preseason scrimmage at JustAGame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells. "I think there's a lot of room to grow yet, being so young, and a lot of skill development to go. I think we could be a pretty good team by the end of the year."
The Hodags bring back four players who saw significant varsity minutes last year, led by unanimous first-team All-Great Northern Conference selection Kenedy Van Zile. The junior point guard averaged 20.5 points per game in conference play last year and will be asked to carry the offensive load for the Hodags this season.
"She needs to average 25 points a game or more and she's very capable of doing that," Clark said. "I think the two things she needs to work on are just being more consistent with her shot and just finishing inside. She gets to the rim a lot. She's doing a great job of being a 25-point scorer but not being a ball hog. She gets her teammates open, she facilitates. I think she does that as well as anybody."
The main reason Van Zile needs to step up her production is because, going into the year, the team has yet to establish a solid second or third scoring option. Ally Seefeldt, who averaged 19 points per game last year, graduated. Senior Brooke Mork, who was averaging roughly 10 points per game before being sidelined with a back injury last year, opted not to go out for the team this year.
That's roughly 30 points per game the Hodags will have to find somewhere. Clark said he sees the answer as an uptick in production for Van Zile along with a more prominent role for a pair of sophomores who were called up to varsity midway through last season - forward Rebecca Lawrence and guard Marissa Martin.
"Marissa and Rebecca are the two kids who have the most ability to shoot, drive and finish," he said. "It will be a bit of a collective effort, but I think Rebecca and Marissa have to become scoring options for sure."
The Hodags also graduated scrappy defender Alayna Franson, along with forwards Maddie Meyer and Molly Wagler. The three combined to average nearly 10 points a game in conference play. Clark said the team is still looking to find players to step up and match the defensive intensity Seefeldt and Franson brought to the floor.
"I think the youth that is showing is that we're missing Ally and Alayna who were just tough, tenacious defenders who had attitude," he said. "They were just competitive, especially Ally. We haven't replaced that yet and we need to see someone step up."
Senior Payton Van Zile, a reserve guard who averaged 1.4 points per game last year, is back. Rhinelander was also hoping to have 6-0 post player Erika Jorgensen back, after she suffered a knee injury in the team's playoff victory over Waupaca, but Jorgensen re-injured her knee the first day practice and her status going forward is uncertain.
The Hodags suited only 10 players on varsity for Saturday's scrimmage. Junior Sophia McGinnis, sophomore Ella Schiek and sophomore Hannah Worachek rounded out a backcourt that includes the Van Ziles and Martin. Junior Kendra Durkee, sophomore Kahlie Arneson and freshman Annika Johnson joined Lawrence up front.
"Hannah, as a point guard, will allow Kenedy to move to an off guard sometimes, so they can't just key on Kenedy all the time, which makes us stronger," Clark said. "Then I think kids like Ella, Sophia and Kendra, are good screeners and will help get our teammates open. And I think the pleasant surprise so far this week has been Annika as a freshman and Kahlie as a sophomore. Those kids are posting up well. I think they have good instincts and they can be good defenders."
Rhinelander's young squad will undergo a baptism by fire in the four games preceding their GNC opener against Mosinee at the end of the month. The team plays three Wisconsin Valley Conference schools - Merrill, Marshfield and Wausau East - to open the season and will also face Eau Claire Regis, a strong small private school that beat GNC champion Lakeland by 13 points last season.
Merrill ended Rhinelander's season with a 66-56 loss in the regional semifinals last February.
The Hodags have the potential to face every GNC school except Wausau West during the season. Additionally, the team will see Madison LaFollette as it hosts a holiday tournament Dec. 28 and 29, and will travel to face Division 4 state qualifier Crandon.
"I think this our strongest schedule since I've been here, the non-conference," Clark said. "Madison LaFollette's a really good team, Regis. There's not one team in the non-conference I think we can just step on the floor and beat. That will make us better and make us grow up really quick."
As for the GNC, Clark said Lakeland remains the team to beat with reigning player of the year Melissa Bruckner, and fellow unanimous first-team All-GNC choice Abby Parris, both returning.
"I don't think anyone can say they're first until they knock off Lakeland," he said. It's been more than two years, almost three years since someone (in the GNC) has beat them. I think we have a shot, but then it's a battle still with Medford and Mosinee.
"This year, we have to compete against everybody and I think we've got to win some of those non-conference games. Then we've got to be a tough team to beat come conference."
Dells scrimmage
On Saturday, the Hodags took part in a multi-team scrimmage in Wisconsin Dells. According to unofficial numbers kept by the River News, the team beat Northland Pines, 41-21, and tied with both Wisconsin Dells (25-25) and Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (14-14).
As anticipated, Kenedy Van Zile carried the scoring load for the Hodags, scoring a combined 43 points in the three 30-minute sessions the River News tracked. Lawrence was the only other player to score in all three sessions, finishing with eight points. Worachek had nine points, eight of which came against Northland Pines.
"Overall, I thought energy was good," Clark said of the scrimmage. "It's the first week and kids are excited to play. We only worked maybe a half hour on our pressing at all, but we pressed all summer, so I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to create some turnovers on some pretty good teams."
The team shot 38 percent (33 of 86) from the floor. Van Zile had 11 rebounds and Worachek added eight boards.
Clark said he liked how his team worked the ball into the post during the scrimmage, but its spacing on offense and tenacity on defense were inconsistent at times.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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