Girls basketball a slam dunk this season

It’s not easy returning to anything after a two-year hiatus; it’s hard enough to recall calculus or biology after two weeks. But that’s exactly what new Homestead girls varsity basketball coach Corey Wolf has done, and she has led the team to success so far this year.

After all, new head coach Wolf is no stranger to the world of girls’ basketball. She played for her high school team at Nicolet and continued her basketball career into college as she attended Marquette University. She began her coaching career while studying at Marquette, then transitioned to coaching the Cardinal Stritch team for four years. More recently, she coached the Nicolet team for nine years.

“Coach Wolf has a lot of experience and a great personality,” Mr. Ryan Mangan, athletic director, said. “She’s had lots of success and is good at working with young people.”

Coach Wolf said it was definitely a transition for the girls to change coaches again this year, as every coach has different expectations and philosophies. Junior Taylor McIlwraith agreed, saying the team’s biggest accomplishment this year was transitioning to a new coach and still winning its first few games.

But the victories aren’t only because of a successful new coach: they’re also a result of the team’s work ethic and chemistry. “We have a lot of good players on this team,” Coach Wolf said. “We’ve had games where one player steps up, and then another game where a different player steps up. Players from all positions, on the bench and on the court, have stepped up for us.”

Wolf specifically mentioned that the girls think as a team and not as a group of individuals, and make sacrifices accordingly. “Some players think that shooting is judged by how many points they score, but you can play a great game without ever taking a shot. There are so many aspects to the game of basketball besides scoring, and these girls put their personal egos aside for the team to be successful.”

That motivation for team success may be because of a shared history among the girls. Katie Soyka, junior, said she believes the best part of playing basketball for Homestead is being part of the team. “We are all very good friends,” she said. “We’ve all played together for a few years…we all work well together. It’s unlike anything else.”

“We have worked more as a team this year,” Taylor McIlwraith, junior, said. She also mentioned that the majority of the team this year is composed of juniors who have been playing with each other for years, which she feels has helped with the teamwork and leadership. “Our team is very close, both on and off the court,” McIlwraith said.

Mr. Mangan also noted that the girls basketball team has gained a following within the student and Mequon community, perhaps more than in years past. “Typically there’s not much attendance at the first game of the year, but at the first game of this year there was a large crowd and support,” Mr. Mangan said.

Taylor Bolden, junior, has also noticed the increased attendance, saying she’s “definitely” noticed a change. “More people are starting to support us and it’s awesome,” Bolden said. McIlwraith added to her team member’s statements, saying, “in previous years, everyone took us as a joke, but this year they see us as a competitive team.”

The girls have an 11-2 record so far this year, roughly halfway through their season with multiple games and rematches to come. While they have lost to two conference teams, Cedarburg and Germantown, they look forward to victory in future match-ups. “Our goal is to beat the teams we lost to the first time around,” Coach Wolfe said.

With friendship, hard work and the support of its fans, the team certainly seems to be on the right track to achieving that goal. “People want to see a team that will work hard together and care about each other,” Coach Wolf said. “When you have a team willing to work hard and work together, that sets a good example.”