Even with the ominous threat that their upcoming season could be called off at a moment’s notice, Allen Community College’s women’s basketball team kept its poise.
And they kept practicing.
“Last semester was very monotonous,” head coach Rachel Janzen admitted. “That’s all we did. Practice, practice and more practice.”
But the waiting, and the practicing will soon get its pay-off, with the Red Devils slated to open their truncated 2021 season tonight at home against Labette Community College.
“We’re all very excited to finally get to kick off our season, and to actually get to play somebody else,” Janzen laughed.
And while other schools — and other teams at ACC — have had to deal repeatedly with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Devil women have largely avoided the travails of the coronavirus.
“Actually, our concerns are injuries,” Janzen said, pointing to players hobbling with injuries. One has a sore shoulder, another a bummed up knee.
“We’re a little banged up right now,” she said. “It’s gonna take us another week to get back to full speed.”
That means the Red Devils will have to hit the ground running, both figuratively and literally, with a roster consisting of 13 freshmen and two sophomores. And neither of those sophomores will be available at the start.
“It’ll be an eye-opening experience for us, but I think it’ll be good for us,” said Janzen, noting that while ACC is light on experience, it’s heavy with speed and talent.
Leading the way are a trio of Oklahoma freshmen, Melody Wilfong, a 5-11 guard out of Oklahoma , Hallie Reed, a 5-8 guard out of Vinita, Okla., and Addie Towe, a 5-9 guard out of Kiefer, all bring talent and athleticism to the court.
“They’re gonna be unbelievable,” Janzen predicted.
KJ Moore, a Duncanville, Texas, native will man the point guard position.
“I just hope she keeps her nerves because she’s running the floor,” Janzen said. “
A pair of local products, Iola native Madisyn Holloway and Topeka’s Kiley Biltoft, will be counted on early and often.
