Columbus North’s Kaylie Harmon (20) is fouled by Roncalli’s Taylor Turk Jan. 25 at Columbus North High School.
The Republic file photo
This year’s girls basketball sectional could be wide open, and Columbus North is destined to be one of the favorites.
The good news for the Bull Dogs is that they host the sectional this season, and they return every player from last year’s team as they hope to make big strides this season.
Hadassah Hurt, a 5-foot-8 senior returns to provide the biggest boost to the lineup this year after missing the entire second half of last season due to an ACL injury.
“We’re happy to have Hadassah healthy and back,” North coach Brett White said. “She gives us a little extra scoring punch, and she’ll help us with some ballhandling duties, as well. We’re glad to have her back have her healthy.”
As big a boost as it was for Hurt to return, North took another big hit health-wise when another top player, junior Miley McClellan, sustained an ACL injury near the end of summer and will be out for the season.
“Miley gave us a lot because she was so versatile,” White said “She could play inside and out. We have to have people not necessarily do more than what they can do, but just fulfill their role in the best way that they can because we obviously lost a lot with Miley being injured because she was such a big part of what we did on both ends of the floor.”
The Bull Dogs welcome back their top guards in 5-7 sophomore Kaylie Harmon and 5-8 sophomore Avery Johnson. Other top returnees from last year’s rotation includes 5-9 senior Sydney Johnson, 5-11 senior Paige Terry, 5-9 junior Kenna Conrad and 5-7 sophomore Ava Wilson.
New additions that could be a regular part of the rotation include 5-7 sophomore Riley Sims and 6-0 freshman Addy Dean. Emma Beaver, a 5-10 senior, and 5-10 junior Audrey Nordman also could see some playing time.
“Last year, we played a lot of young girls and got that experience,” White said. “We’re a year older now, a year more experienced and we have 10 letterwinners back this year, so we’re going to hope to build on some of the lessons that we learned last year and hopefully benefit from last year’s experience.”
North figures to be a factor in capturing the Conference Indiana title this year and hopes to contend in the sectional this season, as well.
The Bull Dogs finished last year 11-13 with a loss to Franklin in the sectional. They once again will have another tough schedule to overcome. They have added two new teams to the schedule. Brownsburg and sectional foe Whiteland replaced Jennings County and Franklin Central. North begins the season against Franklin Saturday.
“Our schedule has some really good teams that we play. In Scottsburg, that tournament has some really good teams. Our non-conference schedule is pretty solid, as well,” White said. “We’re trying to not get too far ahead and play one game at a time, obviously, but at the same time, we learned from last year that fact that you have to be consistent.
“At times last year, we would go in flows one way or the other, so learning it all and being able to make a run from another team, regroup and be able to bounce back from that run,” he added. “We’re trying to cut those runs down and not have those teams get away from us. In order to beat those good teams, those are the sort of things that you have to do.”
