LADY VIKINGS LOOK TO IMPROVE IN 2025/26

WILL ‘PLAY FAST & FURIOUS’

By Staff

          LINDSBORG – The 2024/25 season did not go as hoped for the Smoky Valley girls basketball program as they finished just 6-15 overall and 2-6 in league play before losing in the first round of the state Class 3A sub-state tournament, all while running with two productive seniors around a group of ambitious underclassmen.

          Jason Drouillard begins his fifth season at overseeing the Lady Vikings while looking for a return to better times like two years ago in the 2023/24 season when they won the Sterling Invitational and took home a Central Kansas League title for the first time since 1988.

          Those two seniors, Katja Blanchat and Elsie Boughfman, have now graduated and take with them 27.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per game.

          “We had a down year last season and experienced some growing pains with the youngsters we had,” explained head coach Jason Drouillard. “With that said, we definitely improved throughout the course of the season and are excited to see the difference a year makes. We are very athletic with a lot of speed, so it will be important for us to use it accordingly in our favor.”

          What Smoky Valley does have is four players with starting experience returning, including senior, five-foot-seven guard Illie DeBaere, and juniors Kam Ryan a five-foot-eight forward and guards Kenzley Haxton and Sophie Eyer who measure in at five-foot-five and five-foot-seven, respectively.

          Four others back to build on their varsity experience will be seniors Kaitlyn Leis and Hope Schrag along with sophomores Brinna Flax and Braelyn Whittaker. Schrag and Flax will work the forward positions with Leis and Whittaker helping out at the guard spots.

          The Lady Viking coaching staff noted that three freshmen could be ready for some playing time, with those being five-foot-seven forward Sage Patrick, five-foot-ten guard Grace Dudley, and five-foot-eight guard Natalie Brown.

          With his closing reflections on the upcoming Lady Viking season, Drouillard continued by saying, “Returning three sport athletes like Kenzley Haxton, Sophie Eyer, Kamryn Ryan, Braelyn Whittaker, Hope Schrag, and Brinna Flax allows us to maximize our talent. Our emphasis will have to be on defense as we do not have a go-to scorer. We do expect to spread the ball around and make it tough for anyone to be keyed on. We have a wide-range of athletes that specialize in a couple of areas so it will be important for them to use that specialty within our system. We will be playing fast and furious while getting tough on defense. We will play harder than anyone else every given night and with that we hope to yield some great results.”

          The Lady Vikings were scheduled to open the 2025/26 season on Tuesday, December 2 at home hosting Southeast of Saline before finishing out the week on the road on Friday, December 5 at Central Plains in Claflin.

LADY VIKINGS LOST TO GRADUATION:

Katja Blanchat – 3/yr starter (17.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg), at Southwestern Oklahoma University for volleyball

Elsie Boughfman – 1/yr starter (10.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg), at Hutchinson Community College

LADY VIKING RETURNINT STARTERS:

Illie DeBaere – Sr, 5’7”, G

Kenzley Haxton – Jr, 5’5”, G

Kam Ryan – Jr, 5’8”, F

Sophie Eyer – Jr, 5’7”, G

OTHER LADY VIKINGS WITH VARSITY EXPERIENCE:

Kaitlyn Leis – Sr, 5’5”, G

Hope Schrag – Sr, 5’10”, F

Brinna Flax – So, 5’8”, F

Braelyn Whittaker – So, 5’7”, G

NEW LADY VIKINGS TO WATCH:

Sage Patrick – Fr, 5’7”, F

Grace Dudley – Fr, 5’10”, G

Natalie Brown – Fr, 5’8”, G

LADY VIKING 2025/26 SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, Dec. 2 – hosting Southeast of Saline

Friday, Dec. 5 – at Central Plains

Friday, Dec. 12 – at Concordia

Monday, Dec. 15 – hosting Belle Plaine

Friday, Dec. 19 – hosting Halstead

Tuesday, Jan. 6 – at Hoisington

Tuesday, Jan. 13 – hosting Chapman

Friday, Jan. 16 – at Nickerson

Tuesday-Friday, Jan. 20-23 – at Sterling Invitational Tournament

(with Sterling, Lady Vikings, Southeast of Saline, Lyons, Hugoton, Scott City, Kingman, & Hutchison Trinity)

Tuesday, Jan. 27 – at Hutchinson Trinity

Friday, Jan. 30 – hosting Russell

Tuesday, Feb. 3 – hosting Hoisington

Friday, Feb. 6 – at Haven

Tuesday, Feb. 10 – at Hillsboro

Friday, Feb. 13 – hosting Hesston

Tuesday, Feb. 17 – at Halstead

Friday, Feb. 20 – hosting Pratt

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – hosting Larned

Monday-Saturday, Mar. 2-7 - Class 3A Sub-State

Thursday-Saturday, Mar 12-14 – Class 3A State Tournament in Hutchinson

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at macks.people.places@gmail.com)