Young Warrior girls are working hard

By DEB HAMM

Ozaukee Press press correspondent

Linda Weyker begins her first full season as the coach of the Ozaukee High School girls’ basketball team with a young group of players.

Weyker, who took over the reins for the varsity squad partway through last season, led the Warriors to a third-place finish in the Big East Conference South Division with a 9-10 record. Ozaukee went 12-14 overall.

The Warriors graduated five seniors with the biggest loss being Gabby Klas, who was chosen to the Big East second team for four straight seasons.

Last year, she made 63 three-pointers — the most in the Big East — on 84 attempts (34.2%), extending her career school record over her older sister. Klas drained 229 three-pointers in four years. Greta Klas is in second with 109.

Gabby also led the Warriors in scoring with 14.7 points per game — fifth in the Big East — and she grabbed 4.2 rebounds and had 1.4 assists per game.

Starters Sophie Uhlenberg and Madison Karmison graduated, as did Nicole Liermann and Caryn Eernisse.

The Warriors have only one senior in Evelynn Geis, but Weyker said she has some talented players to build her team around.

“This year we have depth at the post position. We have several returning varsity players, with Caitlyn Weyker and Natalie Miller as returning starters,” Weyker said.

Both players are juniors who are three-year varsity players.

Caitlyn Weyker leads the returning Warriors after averaging 10 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game last season.

Miller averaged 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Geis scored 6.2 points and had six rebounds per game last season.

Coach Weyker said she will need young players to step up and fill the spots opened by graduation.

“As we lost five seniors from last year, three of which were starters, we are a young team that needs to learn how to work together,” she said.

“In general, all of the girls are working hard on the team.”

Junior Meredith Clark is the only other returning player from last year’s team.

Morgan Kirmse, Isadora Decker and Kenna Pierson round out the juniors on the team.

Sophomores Ellie Rodgers, Madie Prom, Paige Kurlinski and freshmen Chloe Dybu and Savannah Quade complete the team’s roster.

Coach Weyker said she expects Oostburg, Sheboygan Lutheran and Random Lake to be the conference front-runners.

Weyker’s son Mitchell returns as an assistant varsity coach. Mary Kay (Large) Heinold is the junior varsity coach.

The Weykers and Heinhold are all former Ozaukee basketball players. Faith Buechler is the assistant junior varsity coach.

“I am excited to have all three of the coaching staff as they bring a great deal of experience to the team,” Linda Weyker said.

The Warriors started their season last week with a pair of nonconference losses.

Ozaukee hosted Sheboygan Falls on Nov. 15, and lost, 62-48.

Miller scored 15 points and Caitlyn Weyker added 14.

Falls was led by Julia Beeck with 19, Addison Schliewe with 18 and Natalie Nicholai with 13.

Ozaukee trailed, 36-16, at the half, but battled back with a 32-26 edge in the second stanza.

Last Thursday, the Warriors lost at Omro, 83-64. Omro led, 48-28, at halftime, before the Warriors outscored the Foxes, 36-35, in the second half.

Geis led the Warriors with 16 points, followed by Miller with 15, Weyker and Morgan Kirmse with nine each and Ellie Rodgers with seven.

Julia Koch led the Foxes with 25 points. Ava Stachura scored 16, Gracen Barbian had 14 and Lindi Boeck scored 10.

Ozaukee was to open Big East play at Oostburg on Tuesday, Nov. 22. They play at Sheboygan Christian on Tuesday, Nov. 29, and at St. Mary Catholic on Thursday, Dec. 1.