Lady Wildcats confident ahead of new season
October 25, 2022 at 7:56 p.m.
“If you are a fan of high school basketball, you need to come out and watch this team play.”
Franklin County fans have the chance to do exactly what second-year coach Kyle Van Meter implores when the 2022-23 girls hoops season tips off with visiting North Decatur Tuesday evening.
“We will be a fun and exciting team this season,” he continued. “We will compete and play hard every night and we have high expectations for ourselves.”
In February, the Lady Wildcats completed an 11-13 campaign with a 47-34 loss to eventual sectional champion Rushville. Van Meter was disappointed in the overall results, the program's fifth consecutive losing season despite the most wins over that stretch.
“I believe we underachieved,” he stated. “Our biggest issue this year will be staying healthy. Injuries hurt us at times last year and we're placing an importance on staying healthy.”
Case in point: the team's leading outside threat, senior Josie Rolfes, is nursing an ankle sprain as the season gets underway.
Rolfes is just one of the names very familiar to the FC fanbase as she's one of a half-dozen girls netting serious varsity time over the past 3-4 years.
The forward will share the court with last year's top scorer, senior shooting guard Kassidy Schell, as well as the latter's twin sister – swing Kiersten Schell – and sophomore point guard Tiffany Billman. Junior Nicole Mears and senior Macy Crain will split time in the pivot.
“Those six will get the bulk of the minutes and we expect big things out of them,” said their coach. “We will rely heavily on them for leadership and to lead our team in the stat columns.”
Along with total points (Schell; 9.2 points per game) and 3-pointers (Rolfes), the group boasted the top rebounder in Mears (6.2 rpg), best pilferer in Ki. Schell (1.6 spg) and most accurate free thrower in Ka. Schell (75%).
Filling out the main rotation are senior guard Lauren Stacy and sophomore power forward Bailey Kaiser.
“Lauren has plenty of experience and will get minutes this year because she is a consistent 3-point shooter,” noted Van Meter. “Bailey will be a key contributor this season. She's a true stretch 4 (forward) that will make a difficult matchup for teams.”
Before November ends, FC will have faced eight opponents with Madison visiting Nov. 5, Northeastern coming Nov. 11 and Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference foe Lawrenceburg traveling here Thanksgiving Eve. December starts with a pair of home games – Morristown on the 3rd and Richmond on the 6th. Over a month elapses before FC plays host again; Greensburg visits Jan. 7, Hagerstown a week later and the regular season finale vs. Talawanda (Ohio) Jan. 28.
One scheduling change surely will help with FC's overall record. After facing conference stalwart East Central in a home-and-home for many years, the Trojans only show up once (Nov. 8 at EC's fieldhouse).
“They have a strong senior class and will continue to be the team to beat in the EIAC,” Van Meter said of the neighboring rival, led by Indiana Miss Basketball candidate Josie Trabel. “Since they are a Class 4A school in a 3A conference, it makes sense. They have an advantage.”
Rushville and Greensburg duked it out in last year's sectional final and both return several key players.
“They are in our sectional, so those are the two we will be looking at to compete with and beat,” said FC's mentor. “We believe we have improved drastically this summer and believe we are right there with Greensburg and Rushville. We have the experience and talent to beat them.”
A trip to Rushville's Memorial Gym is in store Jan. 3, after not one, but two holiday tournaments – one-day affairs on Dec. 23 (at Whiteland) and Dec. 28 (at Wapahani).
“The Ivy Tech tourney at Whiteland is full of 4A schools, tough competition,” said Van Meter. “We play Bloomington South first; the other teams are Perry Meridian and Whiteland.
“At Wapahani, it will be us and (the hosts) competing to win,” he added. “We play Muncie Burris in the first game, with the other team being Centerville.”
Van Meter and the girls hope to see more notches in the left-hand column this time around.
“The goal is to be well over .500, competing in every conference game and to be our best come sectional time,” he offered. “I feel very confident about our team.”
Meet the staff
Van Meter is a 2012 FC grad and social studies teacher at the high school, spending seven years on the boys basketball staff. Varsity assistants are Whitney Gillman and Zach Frank.
“Whitney's very important to our program,” said the head coach. “Zach previously served at Greensburg and Greencastle, on (the latter's) 2021 boys sectional championship staff.”
Gillman is FCHS assistant principal and in the school's athletic hall of fame. Frank also graduated from FC in '12; he's a counselor at the middle school.
Michael Kristoff heads up the junior varsity, with the reserves posting a 13-8 mark last winter. Kristoff attended Oldenburg Academy, coaching several levels of boys/girls hoops there and at FC as well as assisting with boys tennis at FCHS. He teaches at the high school. C-team coach is Carin Dudley, having previous experience at Connersville; Van Meter feels she's “great” at teaching fundamentals to the youngsters.
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“If you are a fan of high school basketball, you need to come out and watch this team play.”
Franklin County fans have the chance to do exactly what second-year coach Kyle Van Meter implores when the 2022-23 girls hoops season tips off with visiting North Decatur Tuesday evening.
“We will be a fun and exciting team this season,” he continued. “We will compete and play hard every night and we have high expectations for ourselves.”
In February, the Lady Wildcats completed an 11-13 campaign with a 47-34 loss to eventual sectional champion Rushville. Van Meter was disappointed in the overall results, the program's fifth consecutive losing season despite the most wins over that stretch.
“I believe we underachieved,” he stated. “Our biggest issue this year will be staying healthy. Injuries hurt us at times last year and we're placing an importance on staying healthy.”
Case in point: the team's leading outside threat, senior Josie Rolfes, is nursing an ankle sprain as the season gets underway.
Rolfes is just one of the names very familiar to the FC fanbase as she's one of a half-dozen girls netting serious varsity time over the past 3-4 years.
The forward will share the court with last year's top scorer, senior shooting guard Kassidy Schell, as well as the latter's twin sister – swing Kiersten Schell – and sophomore point guard Tiffany Billman. Junior Nicole Mears and senior Macy Crain will split time in the pivot.
“Those six will get the bulk of the minutes and we expect big things out of them,” said their coach. “We will rely heavily on them for leadership and to lead our team in the stat columns.”
Along with total points (Schell; 9.2 points per game) and 3-pointers (Rolfes), the group boasted the top rebounder in Mears (6.2 rpg), best pilferer in Ki. Schell (1.6 spg) and most accurate free thrower in Ka. Schell (75%).
Filling out the main rotation are senior guard Lauren Stacy and sophomore power forward Bailey Kaiser.
“Lauren has plenty of experience and will get minutes this year because she is a consistent 3-point shooter,” noted Van Meter. “Bailey will be a key contributor this season. She's a true stretch 4 (forward) that will make a difficult matchup for teams.”
Before November ends, FC will have faced eight opponents with Madison visiting Nov. 5, Northeastern coming Nov. 11 and Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference foe Lawrenceburg traveling here Thanksgiving Eve. December starts with a pair of home games – Morristown on the 3rd and Richmond on the 6th. Over a month elapses before FC plays host again; Greensburg visits Jan. 7, Hagerstown a week later and the regular season finale vs. Talawanda (Ohio) Jan. 28.
One scheduling change surely will help with FC's overall record. After facing conference stalwart East Central in a home-and-home for many years, the Trojans only show up once (Nov. 8 at EC's fieldhouse).
“They have a strong senior class and will continue to be the team to beat in the EIAC,” Van Meter said of the neighboring rival, led by Indiana Miss Basketball candidate Josie Trabel. “Since they are a Class 4A school in a 3A conference, it makes sense. They have an advantage.”
Rushville and Greensburg duked it out in last year's sectional final and both return several key players.
“They are in our sectional, so those are the two we will be looking at to compete with and beat,” said FC's mentor. “We believe we have improved drastically this summer and believe we are right there with Greensburg and Rushville. We have the experience and talent to beat them.”
A trip to Rushville's Memorial Gym is in store Jan. 3, after not one, but two holiday tournaments – one-day affairs on Dec. 23 (at Whiteland) and Dec. 28 (at Wapahani).
“The Ivy Tech tourney at Whiteland is full of 4A schools, tough competition,” said Van Meter. “We play Bloomington South first; the other teams are Perry Meridian and Whiteland.
“At Wapahani, it will be us and (the hosts) competing to win,” he added. “We play Muncie Burris in the first game, with the other team being Centerville.”
Van Meter and the girls hope to see more notches in the left-hand column this time around.
“The goal is to be well over .500, competing in every conference game and to be our best come sectional time,” he offered. “I feel very confident about our team.”
Meet the staff
Van Meter is a 2012 FC grad and social studies teacher at the high school, spending seven years on the boys basketball staff. Varsity assistants are Whitney Gillman and Zach Frank.
“Whitney's very important to our program,” said the head coach. “Zach previously served at Greensburg and Greencastle, on (the latter's) 2021 boys sectional championship staff.”
Gillman is FCHS assistant principal and in the school's athletic hall of fame. Frank also graduated from FC in '12; he's a counselor at the middle school.
Michael Kristoff heads up the junior varsity, with the reserves posting a 13-8 mark last winter. Kristoff attended Oldenburg Academy, coaching several levels of boys/girls hoops there and at FC as well as assisting with boys tennis at FCHS. He teaches at the high school. C-team coach is Carin Dudley, having previous experience at Connersville; Van Meter feels she's “great” at teaching fundamentals to the youngsters.