(Anita) Two girls basketball teams that appear very similar on paper will hook up Tuesday night in Elk Horn in a game we’ll have on KSOM. 7-1 CAM travels to 8-1 Exira-EHK to take on the 14th ranked Spartan.
CAM wasn’t supposed to be in this position, but don’t tell the Cougars that. One year after going to the state tournament and finishing the season with a record of 21-3 the drop off that some may have suspected has been non-existent.
Coach Joe Wollum’s squad is 7-1 on the season and their only loss was against an AHSTW squad that’s currently ranked 12th in Class 2A. Coach Wollum admits, “People might be a little bit surprised by how well we are playing.” So how have they managed to stay among the area’s elite teams despite losing over 60% of their scoring and rebounding from last year? Wollum says, “It’s just a testament to our younger girls that keep plugging away after losing a bunch of seniors to graduation, but they keep doing their thing and we are knocking down some timely shots, playing good defense, and having fun.”
The winner of Tuesday’s game at Exira-EHK will stand alone in first place in the Rolling Valley Conference, but coach Wollum hasn’t focused on the conference race this early in the season. “We’re just talking about how we’re going to play a rival and a team that we haven’t had that much success against historically. We want to go out and keep proving that we are a quality basketball team.”
Zoey Baylor and Sammi Jahde have provided a veteran presence among others. Baylor averages 12.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.3 steals per game. Jahde leads the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game and sinks 46.8% of her 3-point attempts. “Sammi is really knocking down her threes at a really high clip. They are always timely three’s when we really need a shot. She’s done a great job taking over and being the leader of this team. She’s taken some charges this year and is playing good defense and distributing the basketball. It’s been fun to watch her grow and she’s turned in to a terrific player for us. Zoey has gotten a step quicker and a little bit stronger taking the ball to the basket. She’s added a 3-point shot. ”
Marissa Spieker averages 9.9 points and is 2nd on the team in steals. Molly Venteicher averages 8.6 points and is shooting 53.8% from the field.
Against Exira-EHK it’s vital the team takes care of the basketball against a press. “They are going to come out and give you some version of pressure. That’s something we haven’t done a great job of this year is taking care of the basketball as well as we’d like.”
We’ll have both the girls and boys contests on the radio Tuesday evening. Coverage starts at 5:45 p.m. Exira-EHK Activities Director Tom Petersen invites the crowd to participate in a Baked Potato Bar starting at 4:00. Funds raised will go towards Junior After Prom. Coach Joe Wollum’s pregame interview is available below:
