By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After losing a talented senior class, led by Shawnee County player of the year Brooklyn DeLeye, from last year's team that made a run to the Class 6A state championship game, Washburn Rural's girls basketball team might experience some growing pains early in the 2023-2024 season.
Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick, who has led Rural to two straight Class 6A championship games, talks to his Junior Blues during a preseason practice. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But by March, veteran Junior Blues coach Kevin Bordewick is hopeful Washburn Rural can play itself into position for another late-season run after capturing two state titles since 2019.
"People forget that last year we started off 1-2,'' said Bordewick, whose team went 18-6 a year ago after winning the championship in 2022. "We understand that we want to end up somewhere up there (in 6A), but it doesn't matter where you start. It's where you end up.''
In addition to graduating DeLeye off last year's team, the Junior Blues also lost All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick Chloe Carlgren and Second 10 pick MaRyah Lutz, but Washburn Rural will be looking to Kansas signee Zoe Canfield and several other players with varsity experience to help the Junior Blues become a title contender in 6A and the Centennial League.
"You lose an athlete like Brooklyn, who was a three-sport stud, and you lose that leadership, it just takes a while to find your bearings and the leadership that has to come through and shine through,'' said Bordewick, 253-76 at Rural. "But we do have a lot of parts that know what it takes and know what it was like getting there.
"They understand it's a process. You don't win a state championship in December. You build on that, but those girls last year really embraced the idea that every day you come to practice and you try to get better. It's just one day at a time and I think this is a group that's going to understand that, too.''
Rural is likely to get everybody's best shot after winning at least 14 games in each of Bordewick's 14 previous seasons as head coach, with four seasons of 20 or more victories.
But Bordewick said the Junior Blues expect nothing less.
"We do expect that,'' Bordewick said. "We expect that even if people didn't know who we were and I think in 5A and 6A the second you overlook any of those teams then you're setting yourself up for failure.
'We certainly prepare, or we try to prepare, mentally and physically to get everybody's best shot whether we're ranked high or not.''
Senior Zoe Canfield (15), a Kansas signee, is back to lead Washburn Rural, which will be looking for its third straight trip to the Class 6A state championship game. [File photo/TSN]
Canfield, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard, missed the final 15 games of last season after suffering an ACL injury, but averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists prior to her injury after playing a major role in Rural's championship run in 2022.
Also returning for the Junior Blues are 5-9 senior Destiny Ochs and 5-5 juniors Kate Hinck and Tenly Bunck, who saw extensive action a year ago.
Hinck averaged 5.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season while Bunck averaged 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists and Ochs averaged 1.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
Other players who are expected to challenge for varsity minutes are junior Isabelle Haggard (5-4 guard), sophomores Hallie Walker (5-10), Josie Carlgren (5-6) and Ella Hirschi (5-6) and freshmen Maddie Vickery (6-1), Brooklyn Rutherford (5-4) and Gracie Hayes (5-5).
Washburn Rural will get the 2023-2024 season off to a busy start, playing three games in three days in the Hays tournament Thursday through Saturday.
Rural will not play a home game until Dec. 16, when Kapaun Mt. Carmel visits for a non-league game to close out the Junior Blues' pre-holiday slate.
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS BASKETBALL
2023-2024 schedule
November -- 30 at Hays tournament.
December -- 1 at Hays tournament, 2 at Hays tournament, 12 at Shawnee Mission Northwest, 16 Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
January -- 2 at Junction City, 5 at Hayden, 9 Topeka High, 12 at Manhattan, 25-27 Capital City Classic at Seaman, 30 at Blue Valley Northwest.
February -- 2 at Emporia, 6 Junction City, 9 Hayden, 13 at Topeka High, 16 Manhattan, 19 at Blue Valley, 23 Emporia.
