Kewaunee might be better than last year

Updated: Thursday, 12 Jan 2012, 9:06 PM CST
Published : Thursday, 12 Jan 2012, 8:57 PM CST

KEWAUNEE - The Kewaunee girls basketball team recorded a statement win a week ago when it beat arch rival Algoma. With two players out with injury for much of the season, the Storm keeps on winning.

Kewaunee is now in first place all alone in the Packerland Conference after beating nemesis Algoma, and just like last season, the Storm is doing it shorthanded.

Alex Kohnle suffered her third torn anterior cruciate ligament in three seasons and is out for the season and Kelsey Stangel suffered an injury before Christmas, although she will return soon.

“I think it shows a lot of heart,” coach Lynn Geier said of her players overcoming injuries. “I think it shows huge team unity that anybody’s willing to step up. Like I said, it just seems to motivate them more. No matter who’s down we’re still going to compete.”

Kewaunee is 8-2 this season and its two losses came to quality teams in Denmark (8-3) and Bay Port (10-1). The Storm, which fell to Altoona in last year’s Division 3 state championship, figures to be a team that will have a deep postseason run because most of its players and all of its starters from last season returned.

With that experience, it’s possible the Storm is better than last year’s team.

“I think we’re a better team because we realize how hard we have to work,” senior guard Katie Bultman said. “We’re going to have to keep pushing ourselves, obviously.”

Because of Kewaunee’s success last season and its start this season, the players have it in the back of their minds that they could return to state. Meanwhile, last season, state wasn’t really on the Storm’s radar.

“Last year, we just dreamed about it,” senior guard Nicole Geier said. “We never really thought it was in our grasp, but once again taking it step by step we realize that we could eventually achieve a great accomplishment like that.

“This year, we’re just focusing the pressure off of us and taking one game at a time.”

Added senior Marissa Selner: “I think since last year we made it that’s where we want to go. I think we all have it in the back of our minds that we want to win it and not be state runner’s-up.”

Lynn Geier knows her team might be in position to make another run to state, but she remembers last year when Freedom was favored to reach state. The Irish didn’t make it, thanks to Kewaunee, which beat it in the sectional final.

She knows nothing is guaranteed.

“We know it’s a new year, we know anything can happen,” Geier said. “If you look back at least year when we beat Freedom, everybody thought Freedom would go back. We want to make sure that type of mindset doesn’t set in for us.”

While injuries have hindered Kewaunee, the Storm will get a good break when Stangel returns. Last year, at state, Stangel scored a combined 19 points as she started the semifinal and championship games. Considering how good the Storm is now, adding a starting-caliber player for the second half of the season could be huge.

“Last year we had so many injuries,” Selner said. “This year, I thought we’d be able to play longer with more people, but one of our players went down first game and then right before Christmas another one went down, so I hope there’s no more injuries.”

Kewaunee has showed its toughness and depth this season. It’s a hard-working team that doesn’t rely on one scorer, as five players average between 7 and 12 points per game.

Furthermore, the Storm, which went 24-4 last season, has not allowed any team to score 50 points and only four have topped 40. Kewaunee doesn’t impress with flashy play, but it does with results.

Last season it may have flew under the radar, but not this season. The Storm is a big game for everybody and the team knows it.

“These games are going to be tougher than last year,” Bultman said. “Everybdoy’s out to get us this year and they know we’re going to be working hard.

“We have to work just as hard this year. Nothing’s going to be given to us.”

doug.ritchay@wluk.com