Lady Hatchets re-tool for 2022-23
Oct. 31—The Washington Lady Hatchets basketball teams have dominated most of southwestern Indiana for the last four years, however, 2022-23 will look a lot different with a mostly underclass starting five.
Gone are Kencia Levasseur, Alaina Thorne, Jesse Ledgerwood and Ellie Reed from last year's Hall of Fame Classic team, with two of the four currently now playing at the next level.
The Hatchets are coming off a 22-4 season and won two of the last three sectionals. Last year, two of the four losses game to state champions or state runners up. Coach Gretchen Miles, a member of the Silver Anniversary team last season, enters her 15th season and brings a 218-95 mark. The Hatchets have not had a losing season since 2009-2010, which was the only losing season since she took over.
"With the graduation of 80% of our scoring from last season, the Lady Hatchets will be looking for offense from a variety of players. This year's team will be super young and inexperienced at the varsity level, but they are very competitive, hard-working, and the team chemistry is off the charts. The only ample varsity experience returning are senior guard Chloe Browning and sophomore forward Olivia Gilley. We do feel like we have 10-11 players that can contribute at any time and makes practices a lot more competitive when you know people are competing for spots and time. We have to continue to instill, playing hard all-the time, high concentration level all the time, and taking care of the basketball all the time," said Miles.
To go along with Browning and Gilley, returning players are juniors, Madi Dalton and Hayleigh Cummins. Sophomores Aubrey Frank, Kenna Garland, and Izzie Howell, and newcomers contribute are Katie Reed, Shay Hawk, Ella Williams and Kyra Shuckman.
There is a lot of height on the roster this season, as Madi Dalton, Olivia Gilley and Katie Reed all top the 6-foot mark. Browning, Cummins and Howell were all impact players in soccer in he fall, while Garland, Reed Hawk and Williams were impact players in volleyball.
This year Washington continues to have a tough schedule, with Linton, Memorial, Evansville North, Jasper, Lincoln and Forest Park on the schedule, along with a Holiday Tourney on Dec. 22 in Kentucky.
They open the season at North Knox on Friday (one of the four losses WHS had last season) and host South Knox on Nov. 8 in the Hatchet House
