Fast-paced Cats looking to get out and run

CLARK FORK - The Wampus Cat girls basketball team has a plan this year: Run and gun up and down the floor until the other team can no longer keep up with them. If the plan works, and with a quick and athletic team there's no reason to think it won't, the Cats stand a pretty good chance at making the state playoffs.

"We'll try to be in better condition than everybody else; run until we're stronger than our opponents," says head coach Dexter Vogel of the team's style. "If we work hard and get in the best shape where we can run the whole game, we've got a great shot at it (playoffs)."

Leading the way will be junior guard Shaina Gustafson, one of the quicker players in the North Star League who gets many of her points by way of steals and fast breaks. Vogel calls her his 'floor general,' and she'll be the focal point of the offense.

"She's improved a lot on her ball handling and her confidence level is up," says Vogel of his point guard. "I'm expecting her to come out and run the show."

Vogel also has high expectations for Chelsea Macumber, hoping she can attack the basket more this season and give him another scoring threat in half court sets. Zara Palmer, Amy Gannon, Celeste Komanec, Jessica Cartmell, Mandy Martin and Brocklynn Thornton can each provide a scoring punch. Martin, Thornton and Cartmell give the Cats some much needed size and presence in the post.

Vogel will need all eight of his primary players to log a lot of quality minutes if his plan of wearing down the opposition is going to work. Unfortunately, he'll be without the services of three year starter Bailey Hewitt, who will miss her senior year with a knee injury.

"There hasn't been one word said," says Vogel of Hewitt, who would have teamed with Gustafson to form the best back court in the North Star League. "We're out to play as a team, and the players that are there are the team."