(Avoca, IA)- Year One with Head Coach Jason McCall ended in the postseason for the AHSTW Lady Vikes, but the team shone through in games where it mattered. The team finished the 23-24 season with an overall record of 12-9 and went 10-4 in the Western Iowa Conference before that regional game loss to Exira-EHK 52-34. McCall took over the girls’ team after spending five years with the boys’ team and led them from two consecutive nine win seasons to 12 wins this year.
Much of the success was thanks to those five culture changing seniors, four of which started all 21 games this season. That includes Delaney Goshorn who led the team in almost all categories this season including points, rebounds, and assists. It’s hard to lose a player like Goshorn averaging 13.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. In fact, all three of the top scorers for the Lady Vikes were seniors with Ella Langer (6.7ppg) and Saydi Paulsen (5.7ppg) right behind Goshorn. While Coach McCall knows it will be difficult to replace his senior stars, he has confidence in the playing time the underclassman were able to get in.
It wasn’t just the girls who enjoyed the success this season as McCall made a strong case for what this team can become under his coaching. However, it wasn’t the wins that gave him his most joy this season, it was the girls.
The Lady Vikes will have to wait till at least June to get back for open gyms and then it’s waiting until next November for the beginning of a new chapter.