It was a great year for the Panorama Panthers girls basketball team under the direction of Head Coach Kylee Boettcher and assistant coaches Aly Dahlhauser, Robyn Ploeger and Maggie Armstrong.
The Panthers finished the season with another appearance in State competition and a season record of 22-3 overall.
“This season will never be forgotten, just like many others for the Panthers,” said Coach Boettcher, who said her motto as a coach has helped to make this year’s team a success.
“Our motto that started last year as ‘Play for Her’ continued this year,” she said, “but in a different form: ‘togetHER.’ The HER is who I coach, who I empower, who I value and who I love. The girls also have their own HER. They might be playing for a younger sibling or a future Panther, an older grandparent who never played or a friend who can’t physically play. But this season we really wanted the girls to play for their teammates. Everything we did we wanted to do together — win or lose, we would stay together.”
The coach said one huge accomplishment for the Panthers this year was making it back to the Well for the State tournament, which is always a huge reward for any Iowa high school team. There is just something about the experience once you get down to the Well that can leave an impact on your life, Boettcher said. The Panthers were unable to get past the first game, but the memories will live on forever.
All-Conference honorees this year were:
First Team
- Tyme Boettcher (unanimous), who averaged 15 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
- Jaidyn Sellers, who averaged 13.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 3.0 steals per game.
Second Team
- Mia Waddle, who averaged 8.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.4 steals per game.
Honorable Mention
- Zoey Hambleton, who averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, .6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
- Kaitlin Kent, who averaged 1.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
The Iowa Basketball Coaches Association also chooses an All-Region Team. For the 2A region, the association selected seven girls, including Panther juniors Boettcher and Sellers.
The Iowa Girls Coaches Association chooses an All-District team. For the Southwest Region, juniors Boettcher and Sellers made it from Panorama with 10 other girls, and Head Coach Kylee Boettcher receiving Coach of the Year for the Southwest region.
When asked how she felt about the honor, Coach Boettcher said, “There are so many coaches out there doing great things for the game of basketball, and to be given this award is something that I am honored to receive.”
In four years as the Panthers head coach, Coach Boettcher has an overall record of 86-14, with two conference championships, two conference runner-ups, four Regional finals appearances and two State tournament appearances.
With that resume, Coach of the Year is a great addition, and the title gives Boettcher the opportunity to coach the 2023 Pizza Ranch All-Star Games along with Scott DeJong of Ankeny Centennial.
Boettcher said she is looking forward to coaching with DeJong.
“I am excited to coach with the legendary Coach DeJong and some of the most talented seniors in the state of Iowa,” Boettcher said. “It is an opportunity to collaborate with other coaches and to continue to positively impact athletes on their basketball journey.”
The all-star team consists of 10 to 12 players from four regions across Iowa. The state has been divided into Southeast Iowa, Northeast Iowa, Northwest Iowa and Southwest Iowa. More information about this game can be found online.
