Heading into this year's Class C-1 state tournament, there is only one team that can say it has been there for three straight years. That squad is the Minden girls basketball team.
After placing fourth in 2011, the Whippets made it to the Class C-1 title game last season where they lost to Sandy Creek 51-45. But this year's team is not focusing on the past.
"It's a whole different team, a different squad. I don't see it as a redemption thing at all," said Minden coach Rick Chramosta, whose fourth-seeded Whippets open the state tournament Thursday against Pierce (20-4) at 8:45 p.m. at the Pershing Center. "We're just looking forward to going down there and playing."
While Minden may be a different team, there are some players who do have state tournament experience. Chramosta said it's hard to say for sure how that will affect the game, if at all, but Chramosta believes it will help calm some of the nerves before the game.
"We wont' be in awe about anything. We know what we have to do" said Chramosta, who has coached the Whippets to the state tournament five of the last seasons .
One similarity this year's squad has with last season's is its offensive fire power. The Whippets average 58.7 points per game this year, leading up to a record of 19-4. The bulk of those points come from one family in juniors Brooke and Jamie Kissinger.
Brooke averages 19.5 points per game and also leads the team in assists. Jamie is right behind her, scoring 15.8 points per game while averaging 7.9 rebounds per game.
To read more, see Tuesday's Hastings Tribune or the Tribune e-edition.>>>
