For 40 seasons the Perry girls basketball team had one head coach. As the 2018-19 season begins, the Jayettes will be under their third head coach in three years.
Skylar Wolf takes over this season from Chris Morrow, who spent one year guiding Perry after the resignation of veteran head coach Mike Long after the 2016-17 season.
Perry struggled to a 3-19 overall record last season and were just 1-13 in Raccoon River Conference play. The Jayettes were outscored an average of 17.1 points per game last year and scored 40 or more points only five times while allowing 40 or more points 18 times.
Wolf said a lack of size will dictate how he tries to guide the team on both ends of the floor.
“We are not going to be able to just pound the ball inside,” he said. “We will have to take care of the ball and make smart passes to get open (shots).”
“Offensively will we be trying a few different things to move the ball quickly around the perimeter and look for open shots,” Wolf said. “We have some girls who shoot well, but we have to get them open.”
The defensive focus will remain on man-to-man coverage with an increased emphasis on weak side help.
Wolf said he was pleased with “the energy we have shown” in early practices and added the attitude of the team “has been positive and eager.”
Junior Molly Lutmer returns with most statistics of significance. She scored 302 points (13.7 ppg) and connected on 50-of-142 3-pointers (35.2 percent). Lutmer sank 30-of-35 free throws (85.7 percent), pulled down 71 rebounds and made 23 steals.
Senior Gabby West returns after leading the team with 102 rebounds. She scored 46 points (2.1 ppg).
Excluding Lutmer and West, only 25 points return to a lineup that scored 701 points in 22 games.
Lillian Robles will be the lone senior joining West on the 10-member varsity. Also suiting up will be juniors Odaly Perla and Hannah Peterson, sophomores Quin Whiton, Ainsley Marburger and Kennedy Tunink and freshmen Jayna Kenney and Peyton Tunink.
Perry opens their season Friday at Des Moines North before hosting Newton Tuesday. Both are girls-only junior varsity/varsity sets beginning at 6 p.m.
The Jayettes will join the Bluejays in hosting non-conference rival Greene County Nov. 27, visiting Carroll Nov. 30 and then playing Des Moines Christian (at 1 p.m.) Dec. 1 in a non-conference twin bill.
