Girls basketball preview: Greenwood

The first points of Jenna Sawyer’s high school basketball career weren’t scripted by Hollywood, but there is a connection.

Now and forever, the Greenwood senior can say her first varsity points were scored in the Hoosier Gym, home of the fictional Hickory Huskers.

The Woodmen were facing Walled Lake Northern, a team from Michigan, during the 2017-18 season when Sawyer, then a freshman, entered the game and instantly channeled her inner Chitwood.

“I made a 3-pointer in the last few minutes of the game,” remembers Sawyer. “That was a big deal because my whole family loves the movie ‘Hoosiers.’ It was a little crazy. I didn’t want to go in the game at first because I was nervous, but when I got in there I definitely wanted to score.”

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

The 5-foot-9 guard/forward’s role has gradually grown since that win in Knightstown, with Sawyer averaging 6.6 rebounds and 5.7 rebounds last season.

She’ll likely be expected to better those numbers in her final season. Greenwood’s top scorer from last season, guard Brooklyn Stubblefield, transferred to Greenwood Christian for her senior year, making it imperative that Sawyer and junior forward Quinn Kelley (8.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg) lead the way.

The Woodmen have won nine games over the past two seasons. It’s the program’s lowest consecutive-year total since they went 5-37 from 2003-05.

Sawyer believes this squad possesses the potential to make that victory total spike.

“I love the togetherness this year because I feel we work well together. We’re kind of an old team, but we have some new additions, too, that will benefit the way we play. With coach (Justin) Bennett in the program for three seasons, he really wants us to have a winning record.

“We do have a tough schedule, but we’re focused on one game at a time.”

A combination of holdovers and newcomers will attempt to return the Woodmen back to the upper half of the Mid-State Conference standings. Senior guard Kiersten Powell was poised to play a major role on last year’s squad, but she broke her ankle in the first game and missed the remainder of the season.

Ever the optimist, Bennett hopes his 2020-21 ball club becomes the foundation on which future Greenwood successes are built.

“We have a great group of kids who genuinely like each other,” Bennett said. “That’s very important when it comes to building a culture. The theme for this program over the summer was good people make good programs, not good players.

“I really appreciate this group, and I appreciate the kids who have stayed with me the past three years. I’m excited for this team.”

Like that day inside the Hoosier Gym, Sawyer is taking aim. Only this time she’s got Greenwood’s first winning season in five years in her sights.

Just maybe a Hollywood finish.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Scouting the Woodmen” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Head coach: Justin Bennett

Last season: 5-18, lost to Franklin Central in Class 4A sectional semifinal

Top returnees: Ayesha Campbell, Kiley Hankenhoff, Kamryn Mayo, Kiersten Powell and Jenna Sawyer, seniors; Quinn Kelly, junior; Emily Metzger, Josie Oschner and Ella Stivers, sophomores

Key newcomers: Emily Cassaday and Lily Howe, sophomores; Brooklyn Bell, Courtney Hankenhoff and Charlee Mayo, freshmen

Outlook: Third-year coach Bennett is optimistic despite a string of four consecutive losing seasons. Greenwood is coming off a campaign in which it lost six games by nine points or less, but it hopes to learn to close out close games behind a strong senior class and some promising, yet untested, underclassmen. Sawyer and Kelly are a formidable interior combination for what appears to be one of the taller Woodmen squads in recent memory. It will need Powell, Metzger, Bell and others to score from the perimeter in order to keep opposing defenses honest.

[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”3 points with Kiley Hankenhoff” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

1. Which nonconference opponent are you most looking forward to facing?

Center Grove, because it’s the big Class 4A school and we’re kind of the smaller 4A school, so we always try to play hard against them. It’s always a good challenge.

2. Which unknown player on this team will become a household name this winter?

Brooklyn Bell is a post and can take a lot of shots on the perimeter. She’s blocked a lot of shots already in practice and can shoot 3s with any of our guards.

3. Given the ongoing pandemic, how concerned are you about the season being interrupted in some way?

I am pretty concerned with the number of cases rising in the winter. And that’s why we play practice and will play every game as if it’s our last.

[sc:pullout-text-end]