Another expected year of growth has the Powell High School girls’ basketball team setting its sights on the state basketball tournament in Casper in March, hoping to advance for the first time since 2020 and compete for the first time since 2019.

This year’s Panthers feature a heap of returners from last year’s squad, including All-Conference selection Maddie Campbell and other senior leaders Megan Jacobsen, Kami Jensen, Blake Nissen and Abby Wambeke, who all played last season.

Jensen will be the senior who returns with the least experience from last year’s team, as she suffered a season-ending knee injury the first weekend of the season.

Behind those seniors will be a strong group of juniors and sophomores who received significant time, including starters Waycee Harvey, Saige Kidd and Catelynn Floy.

Alexa Richardson and Lauryn Bennett expect to be more in the mix, as Richardson came off the bench late in the season as a freshman to play significant minutes at the regional tournament.

“I kind of laugh about the fact that we have a lot of returners and seniors, yet we are still young,” coach Chelsea Buher said. “That is kind of funny to say that we are young but yet everybody is coming back.”

One additional player returning to the team who is expected to make an impact is junior Addy Thorington, who is back on the team after not playing her sophomore year.

In her freshman year, Thorington averaged 6.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game and nearly two blocks and steals.

“Addy came back with us after not playing with us last year and we are glad to have her back,” Buher said.

With the addition of Thorington alongside growth spurts from both Kidd and Floy, all three of whom are 5-feet-10-inches or taller, Buher expects this team to be one of the tallest in the state as opposed to last year when the Panthers did not boast a player over 5-feet-8-inches.

This year’s Panther program is a smaller group, with 21 players making up all three of the team rosters.

Buher said she expects that freshman Coy Erickson will get significant playing time at the junior varsity level, but may make an impact at the varsity level too.

LANDER TOURNEY

PHS will head down to Lander this weekend to take part in the season opening Strannigan Tournament starting Thursday.

“Who we are in this first tournament is not who we are going to be as we go further on,” Buher said. “These are going to be tough teams.”

The Panthers kick off against hosts Lander at the Lander Valley High School gymnasium at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Lander is no longer a 3A Northwest opponent having shifted down to the Southwest, but Buher expects the Tigers to be a good early season test for her team.

Powell then shifts its attention to 4A, taking on Laramie on Friday at 10 a.m. in the Lander auxiliary gym.

Wrapping up the weekend the Panthers take on another 3A Southwest opponent in Pinedale on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Heading into the first weekend, the Panthers will not have Thorington due to previous arrangements that were made prior to the start of the season.

Starting out the long three-month season the Panthers have their sights set on a return to the state tournament after missing the past two years after not qualifying and the 2020 tournament being canceled due to Covid.

“It is definitely in their sights, it’s a goal they have,” Buher said. “I think it is very achievable, I am excited for them because I can see how bright our future is.”