Superior Bobcats ramp up for hoops season

As is often the case given the cyclical nature of high school athletics, rosters change yearly, sometimes in a major way that launches a rebuilding effort.

And other times with new talent on the way up, the changes are not so bad.

Such is the case with the 2023-24 boys and girls basketball teams at Superior High School.

The girls team lost a host of senior talent to graduation, but they have some exciting new prospects waiting in the wings. They also have a lone senior working to rehab a surgically repaired knee, who may be a major boost to this year’s team depending on how the healing process progresses.

Senior Lanie Crabb, a standout all-around athlete who underwent surgery last summer on her knee, causing her to miss several sports seasons, is back with the team, albeit on a carefully regulated rehabilitation program that head coach Jeff Schultz and her teammates hope may have her back in the saddle as soon as Christmas.

“We are being careful, but there’s no doubt having her back and healthy would be a major boost for the team,” Schultz said. “She is working hard to make that happen. We will see how it goes”.

In the meantime, the Lady Cats are looking to replace a solid, talented group of now graduated seniors who were part of last year’s conference championship team.

Gone but by no means forgotten are seniors Payton Milender, Issabella Pereira and Darby Haskins, a trio of quick scorers who wreaked havoc with opponents for several years.

Also lost to graduation are Molly Patko and Akasha Azure.

That’s the not-so-good news. The good news is there is a solid and promising group of freshmen and sophomores, along with a couple experienced juniors who give Schultz and company hope for the coming year.

“We lost a lot through graduation,” Schultz acknowledged. “But we have had a good turnout this year and the young classes have some good players we are excited about”.

Back for another season with Schultz and Assistant Coach/Athletic Director Jessica Nagy are 5-7 junior forward Braelynn Mangold and sophomore Shaylie Smalley, a likely replacement for the lightning quick Pereira, who signed a track scholarship to run sprints at Whitworth College in Spokane this year.

Also expected to contribute this year are Josie Crabb, younger sister of Lanie, and several other freshmen who got critical varsity time last year as the Cats often held big leads late in games that allowed the younger players a chance to gain experience.

The Bobcats and Lady Bobcats are instituting a warm-up and stretching routine developed by Superior Principal and head track coach Logan Labbe to assist physical conditioning throughout the year.

The Cats are scheduled to open their season with a road trip to Seeley-Swan December 15. They will be playing in the Western 7B conference this year.

The Superior boys, meanwhile, also suffered significant losses to graduation last season, topped by the departure of leading rebounder and scorer Orion Plakke. Also lost to graduation for the Bobcats is point guard Issac Miller, 6-4 center Wyatt Haworth, Trevor Wolff and Allen Ryan.

But the Mona Lisa-like smile on head coach Jake McElroy belies the sight of this year’s underclassmen, led by 6-5 freshman post Landon Richards. He will be counted on for scoring and rebounding this year, along with fellow freshman Gannon Quinlan, a quick point guard who was part of an unbeaten junior high team that included Richards.

“We are really excited about the upcoming freshman class”, McElroy said. “These guys have played together a lot and showed this past football season they are ready for varsity sports. We lost a lot of seniors and we are very young overall, but we like what these young guys have shown”.

The incoming classes have four players who are 6-0 or taller and are freshmen. Also among the returnees are the Merrill brothers, senior Jason and sophomore Logan, as well as junior bruiser Owen Doyle.

“We are working hard on fundamentals in the early going,” McElroy said. “These guys are all working hard and I feel we’ve had a good group of practices so far”.

As is the case with the girls team, the Bobcats boys open on the road versus Seeley-Swan December 15.

    Superior Lady Bobcats head coach Jeff Schultz works with players on defensive matters during a practice this past week in Superior. (Chuck Bandel/MI-VP)
  

    Injured senior Lanie Crabb dribbles two basketballs as part of her effort to rehab a surgically repaired knee this week at a practice in Superior. (Chuck Bandel/MI-VP)