BY WESLEY MOLNAR WSHS JOURNALISM STUDENT AND TRUE DAKOTAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
With fall sports wrapping up, winter sports are on the rise, with games beginning next week. I had the chance to talk with both basketball coaches for the boys’ and girls’ teams. They shared their goals and gave an outlook for the season ahead.
Starting with Coach Kolousek, he discussed both individual and team goals.
“The girls have goals they want to accomplish. They have set lofty goals for themselves,” he said.
He added, “I believe we can be toward the top of our conference, and we can certainly push to be in the SoDak 16. Our region got stronger, as most of the teams in our region did not lose any seniors from last year.”
The Lady Spartans, like many teams in the region, graduated just two seniors.
“We only lost two seniors, but both were big impacts on the team, as they started and did a lot of good things for us.”
Last season, the Spartans fell to Deubrook before the SoDak 16 game, as Deubrook went on to the state tournament.
With many returning players, the Spartans will have experience on their side going into this season.
“Throughout the summer and so far in practice, they have done very well with those new roles, and it will be exciting to see them keep progressing,” Kolousek said.
Riding momentum from a strong season last year, the Lady Spartans are optimistic and looking forward to another successful run on the hardwood.
Turning to Coach Mitchell and the boys’ team, he started by saying, “With a solid group of returning players, we’re entering this season with a strong sense of confidence and purpose.”
He added, “More than anything, our goal is to play consistently, stay disciplined, and support one another on and off the court.”
After back-to-back trips to state, expectations remain high.
“If we can stay focused, we believe we can be playing our best basketball come March.”
When asked for his outlook on the year, Mitchell said, “I am looking forward to the upcoming season. With so many key players returning, I feel we have a strong foundation to build on.”
The Spartans lost six seniors who all played crucial roles in placing fourth at the state tournament, the best finish in boys’ program history.
“We are eager to embrace the challenges ahead and compete at a high level every night,” he said.
Both teams will kick off their seasons at home against Wolsey-Wessington. The girls swept the Warbirds last year, going 2-0, winning 49-47 in the season opener on the road and 48-38 in the first round of the 281 Tournament. The boys faced Wolsey-Wessington three times, winning the series 2-1. They completed a remarkable comeback from a 25-point deficit to win 58-56 in the 281 championship, then traveled to Wolsey a couple of weeks later and lost 3945.before beating them in the playoffs 61-37, ending their season.
As both teams prepare to open their seasons against Wolsey-Wessington, excitement is already building in the Spartan community.