The 2022 Spring Grove girls, more experienced but still young, will be an improved basketball team this winter for fourth-year head coach Kody Moore. All the key contributors are back from last year – all five starters and the two most active reserves. A few promising young players may make the Lions a deeper team than last year. Summer league basketball returned after a COVID-19 hiatus the previous summer, and there was strong attendance at summer lifting and shooting sessions three early-mornings a week. All that extensive game experience and off-season dedication should result in an improved skill level. Still a young squad, there should be additional improvement as the season progresses. But how much improvement will show up on the scoreboard? In last year’s pandemic-delayed and shortened season, Class A Spring Grove finished with a 3-13 record with numerous lop-sided losses – all against Class A competition. On this year’s expanded schedule, there are many larger-enrollment rivals.
Last year, with COVID-19, it was mostly Southeast Conference competition with only one regular-season, non-league contest versus Rushford-Peterson before taking the No. 14 section seed against No. 2 Blooming Prairie. The Lions were 3-11 in the SEC with a fourth-place finish in the five-team SEC East Division. Only four games were decided by single-digit margins, including the three wins – eight and four-point decisions over last-place Schaeffer Academy and a seven-point win against Lyle/Pacelli which finished last in the SEC West. There were also two competitive losses to fourth-place, four-win Mabel-Canton, by three points and 11 points. The opposition averaged 53.points per game, while the Lions’ 33-point average was their lowest in 37 seasons.
Eager to exhibit their progress are all of last year’s seven-player playing rotation plus a few promising young players. Jordian Leahy, who will be a three-year starter, was last year’s Most Valuable Player and also received Honorable Mention All-SEC after leading Lion scorers with 11.4 points per game. The 5-foot-6 senior guard also had a team-high with 63% success from the free throw line.
With Leahy earning a third varsity letter, the other four returning starters are all two-year letter winners. Addyson McHugh, a 5-10 junior, can play inside or on the perimeter. She was the second leading scorer (8.4 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (6.2 rpg). Sophomore Katelyn Kraus (4.7 ppg) won last year’s vote for the Hustle Award and led Lion rebounders with 7.1 caroms per contest. The 5-10 forward had previously earned her first varsity letter as an eighth-grader.
Returning to orchestrate the offense is 5-7 freshman Emerson Ingvalson (6-8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.9 apg), who first lettered as a seventh grader and then assumed starting point-guard duty last year as an eighth grader. She was voted the Lions’ Most Improved Player award last winter. Lydia Solum, a 5-9 junior, is the third Lion regular with the versatility to play both the guard and forward positions. Coach Moore has seen improvement in both her shooting and her confidence in attempting more perimeter shots.
Two other letter winners should continue to contribute after appearing in all 16 games. Ava Olerud was usually the first off the bench, also started three games and was the team’s choice for the Attitude Award. The 5-4 senior guard did not shoot often but did drill 3 of 10 (a good 30%) from 3-point range. Likewise for freshman guard Sydney Holland, who went 3 for 11 beyond the arc as an eighth grader.
Kendal Van Minsel, a 5-11 freshman forward who played in five varsity games as an eighth grader, is expected to play a greater role this winter while adding quality depth near the basket. Also available with B-team experience are senior Cierra Blaskowski sophomore Hailie Kittleson.
In addition to those 11 players from the top four grades, there are also eight candidates from the eighth grade – the largest class on the high school court. A few, including Kylie Hammel and Siri Konkel, could earn some varsity minutes. Others with junior high experience are Carlie Halverson, Elle Berns, Callie Peterson, Addison Kessler, Addison Halverson and Hailey Normann.
The entire coaching staff returns with former Lion MVP and collegiate cager Blaine Storlie handling B-team duties for the fourth year while Spring Grove 1,200-point scorer and former college player Taylor Elton coaches the junior high girls along with Tim Opat.
As last year’s paucity of wins would suggest, the Spring Grove team statistics did not come close to the opponents’ numbers – with one exception. The Lions’ lone statistical advantage was fewer fouls and therefore more free throw attempts than the opponents. But Spring Grove only outscored the opposition by three points from the foul line, where they were outshot 53% to 49%. In addition to being significantly outshot from both two-point and 3-point range, the Lions attempted fewer shots due to more turnovers and fewer rebounds.
The Grove girls are eager to improve those numbers in 2022. Moore saw increased confidence in shooting during summer-league action and is now focusing on better ball-handling. And with four players between 5-9 and 5-11 in height, there is a physical foundation for better rebounding.
Pandemic permitting, there will many more opportunities with the state-maximum 26-games on the slate. In addition to the 13 SEC contests plus a pair of non-conference games versus conference rivals Southland and LeRoy-Ostrander, there are non-league, Class A matchups with Fillmore Central and Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons. And most challenging will be rigorous non-conference clashes with at least seven larger schools – Minnesota Class AA St. Charles, Triton, Lewiston-Altura and Plainview-Elgin-Millville – as well as larger schools below the border – Waukon, Decorah and New Hampton. There is also a two-night holiday tournament at Rushford-Peterson where Spring Grove opens against the host Trojans with the next game against either Randolph or Class AA Dover-Eyota.
——————————————————————–
Spring Grove Girls Basketball 2021-’22 (approximate 7:15 tipoff unless noted)
*conference game
Tues. 11/30 at Schaeffer Academy* 6 pm
Fri. 12/03 at Decorah, Iowa 7:30 pm
Sat. 12/04 vs. New Hampton, Iowa (at Decorah) 12:30 p.m.
Tues. 12/07 at Triton (Dodge Center)
Thur. 12/09 at Houston*
Tues. 12/14 Mabel-Canton*
Fri. 12/17 Southland*
Sat. 12/18 St. Charles 4:15 pm
Tues. 12/21 at Lanesboro*
>>>Rushford-Peterson Tournament
Tues. 12/28 at Rushford-Peterson, 5 pm
Wed. 12/29 vs. Randolph or Dover-Eyota (at Rushford, time TBD)
Fri. 01/07 Schaeffer Academy* 6 pm
Tues. 01/11 at Grand Meadow*
Tues. 01/18 Houston*
Thur. 01/20 at LeRoy-Ostrander (non-conference)
Mon. 01/24 at Waukon, Iowa 7:30 pm
Tues. 01/25 Kingsland*
Thur. 01/27 at Mabel-Canton*
Mon. 01/31 Lewiston-Altura
Fri. 01/04 Lanesboro*
Sat. 02/05 at Plainview-Elgin-Millville 1:30 pm
Tues. 02/08 Fillmore Central
Thur. 02/10 Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons
Fri. 02/11 LeRoy-Ostrander*
Mon. 02/14 at Southland (non-conference)
Fri. 02/18 at Lyle/Pacelli* (at Lyle)