By Jed Buelow
Tomahawk Leader Co-Editor, Sports, Nature Editor
For the second straight year the Tomahawk Hatchet girls’ basketball team kicked off the season with a win after taking down White Lake in the nonconference season opener by a score 41-20.
The victory was the first under new Hatchet head coach Garth Gerstenberger, who took over for Lisa Karau after she held the position the past couple of years. Gerstenberger is no stranger to Hatchet coaching, as he has been the head coach of the Tomahawk golf team for many years along with serving as a coach in the girls’ basketball system over previous years.
The Hatchets were led by Gracie Barnett as she had a team high 15 points and Maddie Marino chipped in 8 to help secure the season opener win.
Coach Gerstenberger said the goal this season will be to improve a little everyday, which his team has been doing so thus far.
He added they are a very young and mostly inexperienced team as four of five starters from last year are gone, including Sierra Graeber, who earned 2nd Team All Conference and was the leading rebounder in the GNC the past two seasons. Fellow graduates Tiffany and Jennifer DuPlayee also played significant roles on last year’s team and need to be replaced in the starting lineup.
“The girls have had great attitude and effort during the first two weeks of practice,” the coach said in noting the team is made up of four juniors, five sophomores and one senior on the varsity team.
Later in the week Tomahawk traveled to Elcho and fell by a score 44-19. Leading scorers were Addison Bartz with 7 and Emily Maki had 5 points.
Tomahawk is back in action tonight (Tuesday) as they travel to Northland Pines for the GNC opener. This Friday, Dec. 6 they travel to Mosinee for another conference tilt before hosting Medford for their season home opener against Medford Thursday, Dec. 12. Opening tip at Hatchet Fieldhouse is at 7:15 p.m.