Coach looks to continue winning tradition next season, reload team with girls who know system
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The other teams in the Rock Valley Conference’s South Division certainly have taken notice of the Big Foot girls basketball team.
And why not?
The Chiefs ended the 2015-16 year with the most wins in their history, and in turn, landed five girls on All-RVC squads.
Leading the way for Big Foot, which tied for the RVC title with Brodhead at 14-2 and was 19-5 overall, were senior Morgan Courier and sophomore Courtney Schoenbeck, who each were first-team picks.
Joining those two were sophomore Payton Courier, a second-team choice, and juniors Olivia Briggs and Brooke Wellhausen, who were voted honorable mention.
Courier, who eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau for her career this season, had team highs in points (327, 13.6 per game), assists (118, 4.9), steals (85, 3.5) and free throws (83). She also was second in 3-pointers (28) and grabbed 108 rebounds (4.5 per game).
In the past week or so, it also was announced that Courier was selected for this summer’s Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 3 All-Star Game in Wisconsin Dells.
“She improved her game in all areas,” Big Foot coach Rick Schoenbeck said. “She, too, was a team leader for the younger girls to follow.
“Each year I coached Morgan she improved her defense and court discipline by staying out of foul trouble and producing on the floor. I’m very proud of her maturing and growth.”
Courtney Schoenbeck led the Chiefs with 151 rebounds (6.3) and was second in points with 265 (11.0), free throws (68), assists (3.2 per game) and steals (2.7).
“She brings the full package to the basketball court and provides balanced production each game,” her father said. “What does not show up in the numbers is her transition defense and the matchup with the opposing team’s best player.
“This takes a toll over a game when you have to constantly guard the best offensive players. Her long-range shooting improved this year and helped pull defenses out to guard her, which opens up for others to penetrate to the basket.”
The Chiefs’ third-leading scorer, Payton Courier, finished the year with 252 points (10.5). She led the team in field goals (85), was second in rebounds (149, 6.2), first in blocked shots (27) and added 46 assists and 34 steals.
“She is very versatile as to how she scores, (either) in transition, (at the) low block, elbow or at the 3-point line,” Schoenbeck said. “She usually creates a tough matchup for the opposing defenses.
“She knows the game very well and is key on help and setting screen for her teammates to get open. For a (post) she sees the court well and finds the open player.”
Briggs and Wellhausen rounded out Big Foot’s top-five scoring third with 203 and 134 points, respectively.
“Both girls finished the season peaking in productivity,” Schoenbeck said. “We hope this spills over onto next year (when) they will lead us as seniors.”
With just Morgan Courier departing, Schoenbeck said he’s already begun thinking about what next year could bring for the program.
“We have built a program and winning tradition at both the varsity and JV level,” he said. “We will easily reload for next year with girls that know our system and will fill roles vacated by this year’s seniors.”
