While depth might be an issue, talent won’t be a problem for the McAuley Catholic girls basketball team in the 2021-22 season.
The Warriors are coming off a 20-win season that ended in a trip to the state quarterfinals and return their top two playmakers in senior 5-foot-6 guard Kayleigh Teeter and senior 5-8 G/F Kennedy DeRuy, who combined for over 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals per game last season, to help replicate the success from a year ago.
“I always have high expectations for my teams,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “This season is no different. … I look for us to use the experience we gained last year and carry that over into this year. If we stay humble and have the right mindset, we have the ability to compete for a conference championship and also have a good chance to make another run in the state tournament.”
Teeter is a returning first-team all-area, district and conference player who averaged 17.6 points, 3.8 assists and 4.3 steals per game — all team highs — to go along with 5.7 rebounds a game. DeRuy earned first-team all-conference and district honors, while garnering second-team all-area recognition after averaging 15 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game. She also led the Warriors with 7.8 rebounds per game.
Joining Teeter and DeRuy and also bringing back plenty of varsity experience is junior 5-10 forward Lily Black, who started last season and averaged 4.3 points and 5.2 rebounds, and sophomore 5-7 guard Kloee Williamson, who averaged 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
“(Kayleigh and Kennedy) will be the catalysts on this team, however, other people are going to have to step up and lead if those two are being focused on,” Howard said. “I expect more of a scoring role from junior post player Lily Black and sophomore guard Kloee Williamson. Both are capable of helping the team out in different ways, whether it’s rebounding and putbacks or playing aggressive defense and creating turnovers.”
The varsity experience gets very thin after that, though, which may prove to be an issue early on for the Warriors. Coach Howard is expecting sophomore 5-6 guard Avery Gardner to step into a bigger role this season. Senior 6-0 F Avery Eminger returns to McAuley to provide depth inside, with sophomore 5-7 F Kaitlyn Bates also expected to help inside.
“We are not very deep this year,” Howard said. “I anticipate rotating six, possibly seven girls this year. So, we are going to have to be disciplined and play defense without fouling. We are also going to have to be in terrific shape to be able to sustain the length of the season.”
Of course, the good news for McAuley is the strength of this team is perhaps the best attribute a team can have—experience.
“We have played in the last three district championships, winning two of them,” Howard said. “We were one step away from the Final 4 last year, so hopefully the experience gained from that game will carry into this year.
“This team has the ability to be a good team. The main key, however, is to have the correct mindset to sustain the length of a long season. If we stay motivated and come to practice everyday ready to put in the work, that will take them far beyond what their ability only will take them.”
McAuley opens the season on the road at Liberal on Nov. 23 before taking part in the Gem City Classic from Nov. 29-Dec. 4. The Warriors open up at home against Sarcoxie on Dec. 9.
