Cardinals have a fresh outlook with five new starters and a new head coach

BY MICHAEL LYNE | West Central Tribune

WILLMAR — Coming off a 19-9 season with an appearance in the Section 8AAA championship, the newly inexperienced Willmar’s girls basketball team will look to surprise teams this season.

Brendan Hedtke takes over a Willmar Cardinals team that will have a new lineup and three players who saw significant playing time last season: Telilie Lange, Zoe Schroeder and Brielle Ogdahl.

The Cardinals enter the 2022-23 season without all five of their starters from 2021-22. They are a group that is familiar with each other, but one that hasn’t played big minutes on the varsity stage.

"This year's team is a group that hasn't had a lot of experience at the varsity level, but they are a group who has played together a lot at other levels,” said Hedtke, who’s entering his first season as head coach. “Our team is a hardworking group that wants to compete and wants to win. They have the right attitude as a collective.”

With no returning starters and key losses led by Sammy Christoffer, Jada Reiman and Ella Shinn, Hedtke will have plenty of options to choose from for his rotation this season.

Willmar junior Zoe Schroeder puts up a shot from the top of the key against NLS during the championship of the WildCard Tournament Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, at New London.

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

“With losing the entire starting lineup from last season, we have a lot of options in that sense this year. Nothing is going to be given to anyone,” Hedtke said. “Players will earn their spots and minutes. That should bring a lot of competitiveness and fire in practice.”

Leading the new-look Cardinals will be freshman guard Lange, senior center/power forward Schroeder and freshman forward Ogdahl.

Lange started four games and played in 26 total in 2021-22 as an eighthgrader. She averaged 2.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14 minutes, 41 seconds per game.

Willmar eighth-grader Telilie Lange (2) pokes the ball away from Redwood Valley's Brynne Farasyn during a first-round game of the WildCard Tournament on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, at New London.

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

Schroeder and Ogdahl each started one game in 2021-22. Schroeder averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13:45 per game. Ogdahl played in all 28 games as an eighth-grader, averaging 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15:59 per game.

“We have a great mix of upperclassmen who have been a part of this program for years and underclassmen that bring a ton of energy,” Hedtke said. “I think when you look at a team that loses their whole starting lineup and their four top scorers, you assume that it will be a team that struggles. I think we will surprise a lot of teams with the amount of talent we have.”