Coach hopes success will stem from mix of ‘experience and youth’
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The way second-year Big Foot girls basketball coach Rick Schoenbeck sees things, this year may be the start of a turnaround for the Chiefs.
And why not? Big Foot returns its core, while several other Rock Valley Conference teams appear to be in a rebuilding mode.
Now Big Foot just has to make it happen on the court.
“(We have) a dedicated team who has improved their skills through summer and fall workouts,” Schoenbeck said. “We have a balanced team with size, speed and high-level skills.
“We are working on physical toughness and rebounding. Being a young team, we need to develop our team unity to work together.”
Big Foot, which finished 5-18 a year ago, scrimmaged Beloit Memorial and Milton last week and came away with exactly what a coach might expect.
There were some good things that happened and other parts of their game that still need work, Schoenbeck said.
But overall, it wasn’t a bad first outing against different competition.
“(Those) being schools larger than us, it provided good competition to prepare us for the season,” Schoenbeck said.
“It was a good learning experience that will provide us with situational information for areas of improvement.”
Seniors on the Big Foot roster are Brooke Berryman (5-7), Marissa Kovarik (5-8), Kathryn Colby (5-11) and Megan Pultz (5-10).
They are joined by juniors Morgan Courier (5-9), Carly Snudden (6-1) and Morgan Stalker (5-7); sophomores Olivia Briggs (5-9) and Gloria Esarco (5-7); and freshmen Courtney Schoenbeck (5-9) and Payton Courier (6-0).
Morgan Courier was a second-team, All-RVC pick last year, while Colby and Briggs both were named honorable mention.
Schoenbeck sees his roster as a nice mix of experience and youth that he hopes will lead to success.
“We have very high expectations with eight returning varsity players,” he said. “With five to nine seniors graduating from conference foes and us returning everyone, it creates the perfect storm to vie for the conference title.”
Schoenbeck will lean on Morgan Courier, who was the team’s most valuable player last year, Kovarik and Colby for leadership, and he also expects Briggs and the two freshmen to make an impact.
But that’s to say that contributions won’t come from every player on the roster throughout the season.
“The underclassmen will provide high-impact minutes, stifling defense and tremendous basketball skills,” Schoenbeck said.
“The seniors will provide the vocal leadership and team unity for a long basketball season.”
Teams to watch
Brodhead, a WIAA state qualifier a year ago, should be among the teams to watch again, Schoenbeck said, while Beloit Turner could be dangerous with solid guard play and decent size in the post.
Schoenbeck didn’t shy away from making a prediction when asked where he sees his team fitting in the overall picture.
“(We want to win an) RVC South Division title and at least two wins in the regional,” he said.
Schoenbeck, who is assisted this year by Rodney Spangler, Greg Lueck and Brittany Schoenbeck, said he likes the state of the Big Foot girls basketball program.
Numbers are growing at all levels, including in the junior high, and he said excitement is building.
“To build a great high school program, it all starts in your youth program, where I have spent the last eight years,” he said.
“Myself and our high school coaches coach or assist our sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade girls. With 18 incoming freshmen, our numbers are improved over the last several years, along with the skill level of our players.”
Big Foot officially opens its season Nov. 25, when it travels to Parkview to face the Vikings in a 7 p.m. RVC matchup.
