ELLSWORTH — Despite the increasing stress as the girls basketball playoffs approach, Ellsworth found time to honor the Feb. 5 National Women in Sports Day. During a Feb. 4 home game against …
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ELLSWORTH — Despite the increasing stress as the girls basketball playoffs approach, Ellsworth found time to honor the Feb. 5 National Women in Sports Day. During a Feb. 4 home game against Baldwin-Woodville, the Panthers honored Women in Sports across all of Ellsworth.
“I was very excited that we had a home game near Women in Sports Day,” Head Coach Haylee Yaeger said. “It was just a really great event and a great way to highlight our girls in sports in Ellsworth at all levels.”
Yaeger said it was not just about the basketball team on the day, but all of women’s sports.
“That’s something I want to continue down the road,” Yaeger said. “Looking to make that event bigger and bigger for years to come.”
At 6-14 on the year, the young Ellsworth team has faced some growing pains. The time to strike is now, and they feel ready for it with four regular season games remaining.
“Obviously rack in the wins. Kind of focus on game by game and locking in for 36 minutes of each game,” Yaeger said.
The youth has gotten to the team at times; however, Yaeger mentioned the many nail biters the Panthers have had as a way for them to grow up in a hurry.
“That’s one of our biggest challenges,” Yaeger said. “Yes, we’re very young. But with time and with experience, that’s gradually going to get easier.”
Some of the pressure to help adapt to the high-stress environments of the playoffs will fall on the shoulders of Ellsworth’s seniors Morgan Halverson and Mykenna Gaard.
Ellsworth is anticipating its first playoff game to be a road one. With four out of five road games to close the regular season, the Panthers feel prepared to take it head-on.
“Everyone says it’s harder to win away, which is fine, it just gives us that extra fire,” Yaeger said. “Having that away game atmosphere and just getting used to playing in an away gym I think will help us at the start of playoffs.”
An important key to winning for the Panthers, especially on the road, is coming out of the gates with more energy than the opponent and maintaining that throughout the game.
“Intensity. That’s kind of been a focus the last few games,” Yaeger said. “Come out with an edge. Come out hot and continue that every play after that.”
Ellsworth’s remaining games are Feb. 11 at Amery, Feb. 13 at Somerset, Feb. 18 hosting Prescott and Feb. 21 at Osceola.
