Wasilla girls, boys welcome new players into basketball programs

WASILLA — Last season, the Wasilla Warriors girls basketball team accomplished a feat managed by only one other squad in the history of Alaska 4A girls basketball. The Warriors won a third straight state title.

There was something else unique about that team. The Warriors featured five seniors regularly in the starting lineup. The graduation of those five senior starters has forced Wasilla and longtime head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax to shift gears a bit. This year, Hebert-Truax has a whole new cast of talent to work with, and the task of turning the varsity newcomers into contributors.

Wasilla has returned three players (senior Amanda Hutchins, and juniors Machia Toews and Cassidy Edwards) from the 2012-13 team that won a third straight state title. But Hutchins is the lone player with significant experience. Toews was a guard off the bench last year, and Edwards saw limited time as a sophomore.

“Even my two seniors and four juniors, we’re trying to get them experience at the varsity level,” Hebert-Truax said recently.

Hebert-Truax’ second senior is guard Shayla Johnson, a transfer from Nome. Johnson, who is beginning her senior season as Wasilla’s new point guard, has already made an impact. Johnson hit six three-pointers and scored 18 in a loss to Soldotna last week. Last Saturday, she scored a game-high 26 in a win over Kenai.

Wasilla has started its season with seven freshmen on the varsity bench. McKenna Dinkel has already cracked the startling lineup, and each of the other six saw action during the Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic earlier this month. Freshman Catherine Baham has also seen solid minutes.

“Right now we’re in the learning season,” Hebert-Truax said. “I’ve got two-and-a-half months to get them where they need to be.”

Hebert-Truax played 14 Warriors against Galena earlier this year, but typically Wasilla will go about four deep on the bench, she said.

“I think we’ll play eight, nine kids,” Hebert-Truax said.

Wasilla, which plays at Palmer tonight at 6 p.m., is 3-3 overall and 1-1 in Northern Lights Conference play.

The Wasilla boys will also be working some new faces into the rotation, but will also about a half-dozen veterans to work with. Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said the Warriors’ priority is taking the steps to make continued improvement and return the program to championship form.

“We’re trying to move on from last year, trying to find a way to win a few more games this year,” Engebretsen said recently. “We want to compete for a region title.”

Engebretsen said he anticipates growing pains early, but also expects this team to continue to put the work in. He said the players saw plenty of action during offseason camps.

Engebretsen has four seniors on the team (Cash McGregor, Emillio Carney, Stone Krueger and Kevin Horton). He said McGregor is unquestionably the leader on the team.

“He plays with such a motor. He’s an emotional leader, leads on and off the floor,” Engebretsen said.

Juniors Cameron Brown, Alex Baham and Zack Garnett have also been a big part of the Warriors’ game plan.

Wasilla will sport a smaller lineup this year. Its tallest players are a pair of 6-foot-3 guards, Baham and freshman Isaac Houck.

“We’re smaller than we were last year. What we have is a really solid group of players,” Engebretsen said.

Wasilla, 4-5 overall, is off to a 2-0 start in NLC play. The Warriors beat Soldotna and Kenai last weekend.

*** This is part of a four-piece series previewing the seasons of the Colony, Palmer, Houston and Wasilla boys and girls basketball programs. For more see frontiersman.com/sports.