Senior Muskies shoot for hoops repeat

If the Muskie senior girls’ basketball squad is going to win a second-straight NorWOSSA title, it will be up to the young guns to prove their merit.
This year’s Muskie roster will be dramatically different from last year’s championship squad which dumped the Dryden Eagles 43-19 in the league final.
Seven players, including four starters, were lost to graduation, leaving new head coach Mike Busch to fill the holes with a bevy of players from last year’s junior team that he guided to a NorWOSSA silver medal.
“The juniors are ready for this level,” a confident Busch said prior to the team’s regular-season opener tomorrow afternoon when the Kenora Broncos visit “The Fish Tank.”
“This is the cream of the crop. Give them half the season and they’ll really be stepping it up big-time,” he added.
Height certainly won’t be an issue for this year’s edition of the black-and-gold, with first-year seniors Laura Busch, Jodi Caul, and Ashley Whalen prepared to dominate on the offensive and defensive boards.
“They’re my power three,” said Busch. “They step on the floor and teams shrivel because of their size. They’re well-rounded players.”
They’ll be joined up front by fellow first-year seniors Danielle O’Sullivan and Taylor Harnett, with guards Rebecca Cornell and Ashlyn Jewell rounding out the group of newcomers.
“Taylor and Danielle were the only two from this team who didn’t play on the regional team in the spring,” noted Busch. “They’ve got some work to do, but they’re coming along great.
“Taylor brings some strong defence, as well as some shooting touch, and Danielle has a knack for getting rebounds.
“With Rebecca and Ashlyn at the point or on the wing, either one of them is capable of running the team,” he added.
While graduation took a sizeable chunk out of the nucleus of last year’s squad, Busch has big hopes for veteran forwards Carley McCormick, Miranda Miller, Melanie Hyatt, and the lone returning starter, Trish Smith, along with guard Stephanie “Mouse” Mattson.
“Trish and Carley will probably end up being the two best players in the league,” said Busch. “They both have good basketball mentality and a feel for the game.
“Miranda’s hand speed and foot speed are terrific,” he added. “She has to work on her shooting more, but she’s our best defensive player in the open court.
“[Hyatt] is solid on both ends of the floor . . . we never miss anything when she’s out there,” he remarked. “[Mattson] is going to be crucial in settling down the younger players at the point guard spot, and her outside shooting is going to open things up for the big girls inside.”
Busch also has turned up the intensity when it comes to getting ready for games, instituting two-a-day practices twice a week and making it clear none of the players should take their roster spot for granted.
“I’ll be moving people in and out of the lineup at the beginning of the season so by mid-season, they’ll all know what we’re running,” vowed Busch. “They’ll only get playing time if they deserve it.”
Smith knows the weight upon her shoulders to provide leadership to her younger charges.
“I’ll try and help them out if I see them doing something wrong,” she said. “I don’t want to be put in a spot where I’m having to get mad at them. I should be supportive. I have to remember they’re just starting out as seniors.”
“I can definitely see this team winning NorWOSSA,” Smith added. “There’s a lot of good things that are going to happen in this team’s future.”
< *c>Junior jam
With only three returning players from last year’s team that lost to Dryden in the NorWOSSA final, new Muskie junior girls’ hoops coach Michelle Mosbeck also faces the challenge of molding a brand new group into a cohesive unit.
But it’s a mission she’s more than happy to take on.
“From playing sports myself in high school, I learned how important it was that teachers and people in the community in general step up and take responsibility [when it comes to filling high school coaching positions],” said Mosbeck, who also teaches at Fort Frances High School.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the girls,” she added. “As a teacher, it’s nice to see the girls in a different light than just from how I know them in the classroom.”
Mosbeck, whose squad also opens against Kenora here tomorrow, has only point guard/forward Natalie Desjardins, point guard Katie McTavish, and forward Janelle Williamson back from last year.
“Our Grade 9 girls are very aggressive and all have positive attitudes,” noted Mosbeck.
“One of the reason those veterans are returning is I want them to help the Grade 9s realize when you play on a sports team for Fort Frances High School, you have to represent your team in a positive way.”
Mosbeck expects Williamson and incoming forwards Rachelle Abma and Natalie Cain to provide the team’s scoring punch, along with first-year post player Michelle Cournoyer.
First-year forwards Blaire Harnett, Jessica Woodgate, and Alyssa Holliday will be counted on for rebounding efficiency. Then there’s newcomer Lauren Krueger, whose versatility and determination struck a chord with Mosbeck during tryouts.
“Lauren puts her heart into everything she does,” said Mosbeck. “She can play anywhere and she’s got a lot of potential.”
In the backcourt, McTavish will be joined by two first-year players in Mackenzie Caul (Grade 10) and Kristina Caul (Grade 9).
Mosbeck plans to play a heavy amount of zone defence, which she says will help keep her fresh-faced troops from panicking rather than have them running wild by living off man-to-man coverage.
Her goal is to keep her team’s spirits high—even if some days their scoreboard total isn’t.
“I just want us to have fun this year,” said Mosbeck, who also will lead her team into Dryden for a tournament this weekend. “I’m looking forward to the season.”