money Sacred Heart High School girls basketball adjusting to third head coach in four years
This year's senior class for the Sacred Heart girls has seen three coaching changes in four seasons.
With Keenan Thompson gone after two seasons, Carl Hines takes over the Sacred Heart girls program after spending time coaching the eighth grade boys at Lakewood Middle School and also nine years on Doug Finch's staff at Salina Central.
Thompson departed Sacred Heart early in April to become the boys coach at Liberal. Hines was hired nearly three weeks later.
Having never coached girls basketball before, Hines was pleasantly surprised by how the girls want to learn about the game, as opposed to the boys, who just want to go out and play.
"They're more inclined to learn and do things that you're asking them to do at a little bit of a quicker pace," said Hines, who will make his debut Friday when the Knights open the season at Ell-Saline. "The game doesn't change; the rules don't change. The things we're trying to do aren't necessarily any different."
Sacred Heart returns two starters from a team that went 12-8 last year. However, a valuable piece for the Knight is potentially out for the season. Ellie Woodall, the Knights' leading scorer from a season ago, is still out after tearing some ligaments in her knee during the offseason.
Woodall, an All-Saline County first-team selection, averaged nine points and six rebounds for the Knights last year. With Woodall out of the mix at the moment, Sacred Heart is planning on playing without her.
More: Sacred Heart High School boys basketball will be leaning on sophomore class in the new season
"We're planning on that, and if she makes it back, that's great," Hines said. "As a coach, I'm going to put my players' health, safety and well-being number one. It's tough for her because it's her senior year."
Kiera Cochran, a junior, is the Knights' other returning starter. Also back for Sacred Heart are sophomores Avery Eshleman and Katie Weiss, junior Tessa Junk and senior Madisyn Ehrlich, all of whom played reserve roles a season ago.
"Avery is going to step into a bigger role and so will Katie," Hines said. "There's going to be some expectations there. They're athletic.
"Avery's gonna present some matchup problems for some teams. Katie is a super athletic guard and understands the game well."
Hines said Cochran is the Knights' most athletic player, while Ehrlich is a quiet leader. He added that Junk is an outspoken leader and has been a surprise in the preseason.
Seniors Jailynn Rowe and Hannah Hoffman, and sophomores Sydney Goetz, Maegan Torrey, Lauryn Mikkelson and Gracy Dorzweiler will also be in the mix for playing time.
"We're just trying to build some different habits that are good habits," Hines said. "We're getting through it. I feel pretty good about the group we have. It's a good mix.
More: Here are 30 top returners in high school basketball in Saline County
"They're starting to come around. I think everybody's excited for Friday, so that's a good thing."
After facing Ell-Saline on Friday, the Knights will play three games next week against Chapman (Dec. 7), Rossville (Dec. 10) and Bishop Ward (Dec. 11) and close out the pre-Christmas schedule with North Central Activities Association contests at home against Minneapolis (Dec. 17) and at Southeast of Saline (Dec. 20).
"We're gonna play a lot of kids early in the year," Hines said. "The schedule's going to be a little bit of a grind for us. I think the girls are ready."
What to know about Sacred Heart heading into the 2021-22 season
Head coach: Carl Hines (1st season, 0-0).
League: North Central Activities Association.
Classification: 2A.
Last year's record: 12-8.
Returning starters (2): Ellie Woodall, sr., G; Kiera Cochran, jr., G.
Other top returning players: Jailynn Rowe, sr., C; Madisyn Ehrlich, sr., G; Tessa Junk, jr., G; Avery Eshleman, soph., F; Katie Weiss, soph., G; Maegan Torrey, soph., G; Sydney Goetz, soph., G.
Sacred Heart girls basketball schedule
DECEMBER
3, at Ell-Saline; 7, at Chapman; 10, vs. Rossville at Chapman; 11, vs. vs. Bishop Ward at Chapman; 17, Minneapolis; 20, at Southeast of Saline
JANUARY
6, Beloit-St. John's Tipton; 7, at Hays-TMP; 11, Republic Co.; 14, at Ellsworth; 15, at Little River; 25, at Beloit; 28, Hutchinson Trinity
FEBRUARY
1, Southeast of Saline; 4, at Minneapolis; 8, at Victoria; 11, Council Grove; 15, Beloit; 18, at Republic Co.; 22, Ellsworth.
Dylan Sherwood has been a sports reporter for the Salina Journal since August 2019. He can be reached at dsherwood@salina.com or on Twitter @DSherwoodSJ
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Sacred Heart High School girls basketball adjusts to new coach, season
