Moses Lake girls basketball ushers in new era

MOSES LAKE — It’s a new era for Moses Lake girls basketball.

The Chiefs lost four starters from last year’s team that finished third in state: Ellie Mayo, Morgan Yamane, Abby Rathbun and Jamie Loera. Yamane is at Willamette University, Rathbun is a reserve forward at the University of San Francisco and Loera continued her maroon and gold aesthetic at Arizona State University.

Big shoes to fill.

So don’t.

“We talked about having shoes to fill and somebody said, ‘Ya know, how about we just wear our own shoes and not worry about anyone else’s shoes to fill?’ I thought that was a pretty smart thing to say,” head coach Matt Strophy said. “Because those are unfillable shoes so don’t worry about somebody else and what they’ve done.

“Yeah, they set a precedent of expectation of how we do things in Moses Lake. That doesn’t mean you have to play like them, you have to win 26 games a year — that’s not what that’s all about. The expectation is just that Moses Lake way of doing things and I think those girls from last year and the last 16 years I’ve been here have all done that part of it.”

There will be an adjustment period, especially with the loss of an all-state point guard. However, the sophomores who saw extended minutes throughout the season and a deep run at the state tournament a season ago are more seasoned than typical first-time starters.

“They’re ready for it,” Strophy said. “They’ve been wanting it since they were freshmen, not just as sophomores, so I think they’re ready for that adjustment in role and the responsibility that comes with it. We’ve just got to make sure once the games start we can keep them dialed in and focused on that adjusted role.”

Kiera McPartland, a capable jump shooter, is the lone returning starter.

“Her expectations go unsaid,” Strophy said. “I think she knows that.”

Madisyn Clark, Brecka Erdmann and Camille Carpenter broke into the rotation as sophomores and will see an increased workload this season. Clark’s sophomore season ended with a 21-point effort in the third-place game against Kentlake.

“I think it’s (scoring) going to have to be a lot more shared than they realize,” Strophy said. “I think that’s something they’ll notice and we’ll see as we start playing some games. I think Madi Clark I think wants to and has the capability of taking on more of a scoring load... All four of those real returning girls — Brecka, Camille, Madi and Kiera — have to step up offensively and take more of a scoring load and it’s going to really depend on who’s feeling it, who they’re leaving open.

“It’s got to be more of that team effort.”

Despite the departures, Moses Lake should be in the Columbia Basin Big Nine mix with Sunnyside as the favorite. Ashlee Maldonado is back, along with the majority of the Grizzlies’ roster.