Big Expectations For Black Swish
NAPPANEE – For as good as NorthWood girls basketball has been under coach Adam Yoder, one box on the checklist remains unmarked in his first five seasons.
Sectional champions.
The start of the 2019-20 athletic year at NorthWood, however, could see that success rate change as girls sports this past fall in Nappanee have been superior, which could lead to a momentum push for the Black Swish.
Volleyball in particular had a great run for NorthWood, advancing to the regional finals and providing basketball with a lion’s share of incoming basketball prowess. Seniors Maddy Payne and Kate Rulli as well as juniors Kendal Miller, Bre Wise and Alea Minnich all impacted the Red Slam. Payne and Rulli have been huge, literally, for the Black Swish, combining for over 1,000 points and 640 rebounds as both stand over six feet tall. Minnich, Miller and Wise all are two-time letter winners for the Panthers, Minnich approaching 100 rebounds for her career.
“Our fall sports have been very successful in recent years as well, so that part is nothing new for us,” Yoder said, whose club was 16-8 a season ago. “All of our varsity players were in a fall sport, so it will take some time to get everyone on the same page. However, our girls also had a lot of success in the fall, and we’re optimistic that the winning attitude and confidence the girls are bringing in will serve us well on and off the basketball floor.”
Seniors Karlie Fielstra (cross country) and Reagan Hartman (soccer), both developed into shooters as juniors and will likely continue to impact from the perimeter, and sophomore Emma Martz (soccer) will join the varsity ranks for the first time.
“We are very fortunate to return a lot of experience in the post from a successful season last year with Maddy, Kate, and Bre Wise,” noted Yoder. “They certainly be the focus of our opponents early I’d guess. We’ve also been impressed with the improvement of our returning perimeter players, though, and to open up things on the inside, they’re going to have to be able to handle, pass, and shoot the ball well.”
One place NorthWood will really have to rally will be in leadership. While several of the returners were verbal and physical leaders in their other sports, and even in basketball, the team is having to replace the tangible and intangible contributions of graduated seniors Mackenzie Bergman and Neely Trenshaw. Both now college athletes, Bergman in soccer at Franklin College and Trenshaw in basketball at Earlham College, their verbal leadership is where Yoder feels his club might have the biggest hill to climb in the early going.
Bergman and Trenshaw combined in their careers to score nearly 1,000 points, pull down 375 rebounds, assist on 325 baskets, record 250 steals and provide invaluable leadership in the lockerroom.
“Mackenzie did a lot for us the past several years, as did Neely Trenshaw,” Yoder said. “Replacing their defensive abilities is going to take a lot of grit and discipline from our returning players. Both were excellent on the ball defenders for us for several years.”
Heading into the season, NorthWood will be tested right away, as is always the case with a Yoder-produced schedule. Before much of the Christmas ornaments will be hung in the NorthWood community, the Black Swish will have completed road tests at Penn, Norwell, Rochester and a Northern Lakes Conference opener against Warsaw and a home date with preseason-ranked Mishawaka. The Warsaw contest likely will prelude to whom has the inside track for the NLC title. NorthWood opens at home Thursday against South Bend Riley.
“We’ll embrace that tough schedule like we always do,” offered Yoder. “Playing teams like Penn and Norwell are going to be tough games no matter when you play them but playing them early in the year allows for us to really gauge where we are and where we need to go to be ready for the sectional.”