Chris Caporale, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
The eight seniors on the Shawano Community High School girls basketball team will leave a lasting impression on the program and its head coach.
The class led the SCHS varsity to its most successful season since 1999, recording 14 wins and giving the Hawks (14-11, 6-8 Bay Conference) their first winning season under fourth-year head coach Ryan Koenig.
The eight members of the Hawks’ Class of 2016 are Megan Klitzke, Morgan Klitzke, Sara Hokenstad, Erika Dunnam, Teagan Monfils, Meagan Ward, Annelies Young and Sydney Schreiber.
“They turned around our program and worked their butt off for four years,” Koenig said. “For us to keep improving the program, and this year, to have 14 wins, which is tied for the most wins with (1999), is unbelievable.”
The class helped orchestrate one of the biggest wins in program history when the Hawks defeated West De Pere, , Feb. 18 on the road, ending the Phantoms’ chances at an undefeated conference season.
The keys to the Hawks’ success this year went beyond basketball talent, Koenig said.
“They are just good people. They are better people than they are basketball players,” he said. “That’s why this class and coaching staff were so close to them. It’s just who they were, how they conducted themselves, how they communicated and gelled together as one.”
The Hawks’ five starters were all seniors, so it won’t be an easy transition next season. But with underclassmen Tori DePerry and Brandi Gueths playing important, rotational roles this season, Koenig has a good foundation on which to build future successes.
DePerry, a freshman, was a spark plug off the bench for the majority of the season. Gueths, a sophomore, was a force in the post, averaging over 12 points per game over the final seven contests of the season.
The hardest part for Koenig is going to be re-creating the chemistry he shared with the seniors. He said he will “just miss the personalities they bring to the table every day and the hard work they put in.”