Girls’ basketball team has new coach

By Greg Seubert

Victoria Nowak shoots a free throw for Waupaca Nov. 10 during a girls’ basketball scrimmage with Wild Rose. Greg Seubert Photo

A new offense.

A new defense.

A new coaching staff.

Welcome to the world of the Waupaca girls’ basketball team.

The Comets are coming off of a 1-22 season that saw the team get outscored by an average of 63-31.

Nate Harms, who takes the program over from Amanda Bronk, is starting from scratch.

“We’re very young, which can be good and bad at the same time,” he said after watching his team’s Nov. 10 scrimmage with Wild Rose at Waupaca High School.

“We’re learning a new defense, a new press and a new offense and that’s a lot to learn,” he said. “Everything’s new and they’re young to boot. You put all that together and you’re going to take your lumps. What I’m seeing right now is we have a lot to learn. I told the girls, ‘You came a long way from the beginning of the scrimmage to the end.’”

One thing that’s not a concern for Harms is numbers.

“One thing I’m excited about and the girls are, too, is the numbers we had sign up for basketball,” he said. “We have 24 and that gives us three teams. Three teams is a big deal because now we get more playing time. The biggest thing is that gives us an extra coach on the floor in practice and in games. What our JV teams are all about is funneling our girls to varsity. We want to develop them and they are going to become varsity players down the road.”

Megan Gwyn and Luke Hass will coach the JV1 and JV2 teams.

“I love their enthusiasm,” Harms said. “They’re both basketball people and played in high school and in one case in college. They have experience in the game. That’s what we need.”

Harms will build his team around senior Victoria Nowak, a varsity player since her freshman season and a second-team all-conference player as a junior.

“Victoria is one of those athletes can do a little of just about everything, so that’s what we expect her to do,” he said. “We expect her to bring the ball down sometimes. Sometimes, we want her in the post. What we want to do is make it hard for the defense to guard her.

“When I got the job, the first thing I did was sit down with Victoria and talk about what I expected from her,” he added. “As our leader, I expect her to be the hardest worker and she has shown that in practice and summer league. She’s the hardest worker on the court at all times. She’s always positive and sometimes, it’s hard to be positive.”

While Nowak is a familiar face on the team, there will also be some newcomers that will get some playing time.

“We’re going to have some freshman playing varsity, that’s just the way it has to be,” Harms said. “I don’t think that’s all that bad because it’s going to make us better in the end. These girls are going to get meaningful minutes and experience they’ll be able to use this year and next year. I know that’s going to pay off for us. I’ve been telling them that already.”

The Comets compete in the North Eastern Conference with Clintonville, Denmark, Fox Valley Lutheran, Freedom, Little Chute, Luxemburg-Casco, Marinette, Oconto Falls and Wrightstown.

“You have your four or five teams that are upper-echelon,” Harms said. “As a coaching staff, we’re realistic. I understand that sometimes we might not be in a game, but we’re going to compete, we’re going to keep coaching and we’re going to expect the players to keep playing no matter what happens. No matter what the score is, we’re going to compete and get better. As long as we’re getting better, I’m OK. I think the girls will be OK with that, too.”

As a first-year coach, Harms admitted he doesn’t know much about the teams that will make up the vast majority of the Comets’ 22-game schedule.

“I’ve been looking at a little bit of film from last year,” he said. “What I’ve done is looked at our schedule and broke it down. I said, ‘These are the teams I want to compete with and I think we can get a win.’ I feel like we have good chances to get some wins out there and that’s what I’m looking to do as a coach: find those opportunities for our team to have success.”

Waupaca opened the season Nov. 15 at Ripon and will open conference play Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Luxemburg-Casco. The home opener is set for 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, against Clintonville.

“We’ve already talked about staying the course and giving yourself some time to get better,” Harms said. “I want the girls to know that this isn’t going to happen overnight. I think they understand and they’re already buying into what we’re trying to do. They’re starting to get better at everything.

“The No. 1 thing that we talk about is if we have a good attitude – which the girls do – and have good effort, it’s going to equal success,” he added. “They’re listening to the message and I already see some good things happening. I’m excited.”

Waupaca Girls’ Basketball
2016-17 Schedule

Varsity
Thursday, Nov. 10 – Scrimmage vs. Wild Rose, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15 – at Ripon, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 22 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 29 – vs. Clintonville, 7;15 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 6 – vs. Oconto Falls, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9 – at Marinette, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 13 – at Mosinee, 7;15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 15 – vs. Little Chute, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 22 – vs. Berlin, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 3 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 6 – at Freedom, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 12 – vs. Wrightstown, 7:15 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 16 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 19 – at Denmark, 7;15 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 23 – at Clintonville, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 27 – at Oconto Falls, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 31 – at Little Chute, 7;15 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 3 – vs. Marinette, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 7 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 9 – vs. Freedom, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11 – vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 14 – at Wrightstown, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 17 – vs. Denmark, 7:15 p.m.

JV1
Thursday, Nov. 10 – Scrimmage vs. Wild Rose, Appleton West, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15 – at Ripon, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 22 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 29 – vs. Clintonville, 5;45 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 6 – vs. Oconto Falls, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9 – at Marinette, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 13 – at Mosinee, 5;45 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 15 – vs. Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 22 – vs. Berlin, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 3 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 6 – at Freedom, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 12 – vs. Wrightstown, 5:45 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 16 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 19 – at Denmark, 5;45 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 23 – at Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 27 – at Oconto Falls, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 31 – at Little Chute, 5;45 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 3 – vs. Marinette, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 7 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 9 – vs. Freedom, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11 – vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 14 – at Wrightstown, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 17 – vs. Denmark, 5:45 p.m.

JV2
Tuesday, Nov. 15 – at Ripon, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 22 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 5:45 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 28 – at West De Pere, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 29 – vs. Clintonville, 5;45 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 6 – vs. Oconto Falls, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9 – at Amherst, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 13 – at Mosinee, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 15 – vs. Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 22 – vs. Berlin, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 3 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 6 – at Freedom, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 12 – vs. Wrightstown, 5:45 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 16 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 19 – at Denmark, 5;45 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 23 – at Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 27 – at Oconto Falls, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 31 – at Little Chute, 5;45 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 3 – vs. Marinette, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 7 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 9 – vs. Freedom, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 14 – at Wrightstown, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 17 – vs. Denmark, 5:45 p.m.