Lady Loggers starting fresh this basketball season
<p>Madisen Monigold brings the ball down court on a Flathead turnover second quarter.</p>
The Libby Lady Loggers basketball team won’t return any starters this year, but head coach Jim May said the experience gap shouldn’t be a problem.
“The kids are practicing with a lot of energy and excitement,” said May. “The inexperience will be overcome by their hard work and energy.”
There are five returning lettermen who bring solid experience to the court in seniors Ashley Walker and Trinity Wallace, juniors Abby Ennenga and Madisen Monigold and sophomore Shannon Reny.
The team also has a solid core of younger players May expects to step up and contribute. The combination of experience and young talent, May said, puts the team in a good place.
“We have a bunch of other young kids vying for varsity time,” said May. “We are a quick, hard-working group.”
May said the team will face tough competition this year, as they will have games against five Class A teams, in addition to a strong conference schedule.
The conference schedule includes a much-improved Troy team as well as the Lions of Lincoln County High, a team May said always plays hard. The Lady loggers will also face a Thompson Falls team that May said “has some incredible athletes,” and the Valkyries of Bigfork, who field several returning players from last year’s state qualifying team.
The non-conference schedule includes six games against Class A opponents; two against Polson and one each against Columbia Falls, Frenchtown, Bonners Ferry and Stevensville. Libby’s team is able to compete against Class A teams because Montana High School Association rules allow schools to play teams one division higher or lower than their own.
Despite the strength of their schedule, May said with dedication and effort, the team will have a successful season.
“It is a long season,” said May. “If they keep working hard with the same energy they have started the season with, things will come together and we will play our best basketball at the end of the season.”
The Lady Loggers tip off the season in Missoula next Friday and Saturday, playing one game each day.