TEUTOPOLIS — The Teutopolis Lady Shoes were 19-12 last season, losing in the Class 2A Newton Sectional Semifinals.
Head coach Laurie Thompson is entering her 19th season and has a career record of 463-132.
Thompson talked about the forthcoming season below.
Outlook on the season
“We have a lot of kids returning, so I like that we have the experience back. We’re going to have to take all the experience that we had and put that to use. We’ve lost Summer (Wall) and Isabelle (Zerrusen), so we have to have somebody step up for that. These kids got a lot of minutes last year, so, hopefully, that experience will carry on to us having success this year.”
Feelings before the new season begins
“I’m excited. Every year is a new year. I’m excited. This team is good. They’re a fun team; they work hard, so when you’re coming back to a team that works hard and is coachable, it makes it even more fun. I got good assistant coaches around me. I have a nice little community. It’s fun.”
Returners
“Mollie Ruholl is a senior. She brings three-point shooting. She’s quick and can get to the basket. She’s hard-nosed. She’ll get the job done and work her tail off in practice. She’ll try to do anything you ask her to do. Chloe Probst is another senior and brings back scoring. Hopefully, she can do the same thing this year. Chloe’s got that three-point shot. She can also get to the basket. We tell her to mix it up a bit so she’s not one-dimensional out there. Chloe’s smart; she knows what’s going on. I look at her and Mollie as our team leaders. Anna Probst has a lot of experience. Anna is another hard-working, coachable kid who can play good defense and get to the basket. She can make things happen. Allie Ruholl is another kid that we look to be a good defender. Allie’s come a long way with her shot. I want her to keep looking for that jump shot. Malea Helmink is a post presence who had the most minutes last year. We’re working with her to get stronger inside. Malea can run the floor and can get up and down the floor. She’s a great reader in our press. I just want her to get tougher on the inside and want her to look to score. Sophia Martin had a pretty good summer. She was looking to go to the basket and be aggressive. Defensively, I hope she can step up and get some stops for us. Mallory Bloemer can be a good rebounder for us. I look for her to have a rebounding presence. Eva Mette is nice and tall. Eva’s worked this summer trying to perfect a couple of offensive moves. I look for Eva to help us on the inside post, as well. Kelsey Niemerg is a quiet player. She can get to the basket when she wants and I’m always on her to get to the basket. Defensively, I think she takes a lot of pride in her defense and makes things happen, which I love.”
Newcomers
“I’ve got four sophomores: Gabby Tegeler, Sophia Cremens, Kailyn Gaddis and Jersey Gaddis. They’re going to get some minutes. Jersey can get to the basket, Gabby can get to the basket, Kailyn, Sophia are the outside shooters, so I got a good mix with those sophomores, which I’m looking forward to and, hopefully, I can get them some quality minutes, as well. Nora Bueker, Kaelyn Ordner and Brooklyn Will do lots of great things. They had a lot of success in junior high. The kids play together and know each other.”