By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
If there’s one thing that’s different about the Springfield Catholic girls basketball team this season, it’s that things are the same.
After several years with significant roster turnover, the Fightin’ Irish return four healthy starters from the group that went 13-13 last winter — and a fifth is expected to join them midway through the season.
With an experienced roster, the Irish are poised to contend for a conference championship in what will be their final year in the Big 8 East. They are slated to join the Mid-Lakes Conference for the 2024-25 school year.
“Most of the players have been in this for at least two years,” Catholic coach Mike Foley said. “This should help us get off to a really good start and hopefully some early wins. When you’re winning early in the season, it takes a lot of pressure off of the players and coaches.”
Catholic clinched a share of the conference title two years ago but struggled last winter. Foley said one of the biggest questions surrounding this year’s team is whether they’ll be able to “mentally bounce back this season.”
Having plenty of familiar faces should make that challenge a bit less daunting.
“It’s really nice to have so many girls returning,” Foley said. “We haven’t had this the past few years. Instead of starting new, we can refresh ourselves on the things we did well — or not so well — and build from there.”
The most experienced member of the roster is three-year starter Katie Gallagos. The senior captain is coming off an all-conference season in which she averaged 9.4 points per game.
“She leads our team by example,” Foley said of the point guard. “She’s always in the gym training. She pushes herself in drills and motivates others. This year, I’m going to ask her to be more vocal with her teammates on and off the court.”
At least part of that ask comes from a place of necessity, as fellow senior Olivia Swisshelm is expected to miss the first half of the year as she recovers from an ACL injury. The all-conference guard/forward averaged 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds last season.
“She is our do-everything player,” Foley said. “Good shooter, passer, rebounder, defender. She had a great summer and we will miss her on the floor. She will still be a valuable part of our team, helping develop our younger players while she rehabs.”
Those underclassmen include three other players who have previously started for the Irish — Peyton Wiseman, Lila Greisemer and Alice Farmer.
Wiseman, a junior guard/forward, is the team’s top returning scorer. She averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds during an all-conference season last winter.
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“Peyton has come a long way since her first start as a freshman,” Foley said. “She has always been physically and mentally strong — and had the talent and drive — she just had to adjust herself to the speed/tempo of the (high school) game. She’s handled the pressure of being ‘the underclassman’ like a champ. I look for her to have a great season and to help lead us to some big wins this season.”
Greisemer, a 5-foot-11 junior, led the Irish with 8.1 rebounds per game. The center also contributed 7.5 points a night.
“We hope she will dominate the paint this fall,” Foley said.
Farmer, a sophomore guard, secured a starting job early in her freshman season. She finished the year with 5.2 points per game.
“She is a great shooter,” Foley said. “She’s feisty, she’s competitive and she wants to win as much as anyone. This year, now that she has gotten that first season under her belt, we are going to help her with the mental aspects of the game — let her get into the flow, move without the ball and knock down some big shots when we need them.”
Senior Addison Ahlstrand (forward/center) and juniors Annabelle Cleeton (small forward), Riley Webster (guard/forward), Makenna Phipps (guard) and Grace Hoerschgen (center) will all be competing for playing time this winter.
“We have a very athletic team,” Foley said. “I believe if we play as a team, we are going to have a great season.”
The Fightin’ Irish will travel to Mansfield for a jamboree on November 14. Their home and regular-season opener is three days later against Glendale.
“We have had some success the past few seasons, but winning the conference and the district is always a goal of ours,” Foley said. “Our district is really tough, so keeping our focus through a long season and our eye on the prize will be the challenge.”
