The Brownstown-St. Elmo Bombers girls basketball team came within one win last year of their first 20-win season in several years. After finishing 19-12, BSE will turn to their senior captains and returning letter winners to guide a young roster that includes just three seniors, two juniors, one sophomore and seven freshmen as they look to reach that feat.
Leading scorer Claire Wilhour (19 ppg) and leading rebounder Natalie Oberlink (9.5 rpg) return and will serve as captains. They will be joined by junior Olivia Campbell, who averaged 13.9 points a game last year, as what Head Coach Brian Pruett calls his difference makers on both offense and defense.
Senior Mackenzie Walk and sophomore Audrey Wilhour return as well after playing in 25 and 30 games respectively last season. However, BSE will be without sophomore Matilyn Griggs who played in 31 games last season and will miss the season following knee surgery.
With a couple holes to fill in the starting lineup as well as those first pieces off the bench, Pruett says he will be looking at players like Audrey Wilhour and freshmen Natelly Beall, Laney Baldridge, Sidney Stine and Jaide Whitehead to step up to fill some of those spots.
BSE will start their season on the road at Cumberland Monday night and will play nine regular games and three tournaments on the road while playing at home for just eight games. The first tough road test after Monday night will come Friday, November 22 when the Bombers will face 2A school Pana in their first game of the Pana Thanksgiving Tournament. Despite the prospect of being away from their home floor so much over the next several months, Pruett says “with the leadership we have on the team this year we don’t expect to be too worried about going on the road and playing this year.”