TEUTOPOLIS — Good things happen when you stick together.
The seniors on the Teutopolis girls basketball team know that feeling. All seven played a role on the Lady Shoes’ eighth-grade state championship-winning team, which went 30-0.
Since that season, not much has changed. Seven of the nine seniors are still playing and success has continued.
And even though losses have occurred over the past two seasons, so have the lessons learned.
This group has managed to stick together through it all and remain a close-knit bunch — a rarity in high school sports.
Oftentimes, programs see large groups of eighth-graders enter, but not stay with the sport.
This group is different.
“They’ve tasted that success and once you taste it, if it’s something really good, you want to do it again, but they’re going to have to work hard,” head coach Laurie Thompson said. “They’re going to have to be smart basketball players and get the job done.”
Currently, T-Town is 4-0 after winning the Paris North American Lighting Tournament on Saturday.
Two members from that undefeated eighth-grade team earned all-tournament honors following the event: post Malea Helmink and guard Anna Probst.
Both have been three-year contributors to the varsity team.
“It’s been special to play with the same group of girls all the way through high school,” Probst said. “I feel like it really adds to our team chemistry and we know how one another plays.
“We are a very close team.”
“Our team chemistry is honestly amazing — on and off the court,” Helmink added. “In the locker room, on bus rides and at practice, we’re always getting along and laughing. That helps us on the court because we know each other so well and understand what everyone tends to do.”
Probst is the team’s point guard.
She started her high school career as a timid individual, but said she has grown so much since that first day.
Probst finished the championship game of the Paris NAL Tournament with eight points and five rebounds.
Helmink had nine points and nine rebounds.
She said she has progressively gotten stronger over the years.
Helmink said the fact that seven of the nine players from that junior high team have stuck together shows the dedication they have not only to each other but also to their school and community.
The play on the court backs that up. There’s never a play taken off; never a sign where hard work isn’t given.
“We all know how each other plays, what our weaknesses are and how to make each other better,” Helmink said. “Having that many years together really helps us on the court because we can react to what each other does without even thinking about it.”
Thompson said that early on in their careers, this group struggled after making mistakes. They felt everything had to be perfect.
What makes up for that is being coachable.
“They are one of the most coachable teams that I’ve had. They will try to do it,” Thompson said. “They will work their tails off and they have been working their tails off.”
Allie Ruholl scored 16 points and added two rebounds, three steals and an assist in Saturday’s title game.
She has become the team’s leader for the underclassmen this year, while gaining more confidence in herself.
What does Ruholl want the most from this season?
It’s simple.
Good times, good play and even better memories.
“I want good team chemistry, good defense and overall good memories with my friends,” Ruholl said.
Sophia Martin is one of the most improved players on the team.
She had 10 points, three rebounds and an assist in the title game.
Like her teammates, her confidence is also sky-high.
Where she has improved the most from her eighth-grade year, though, is in two different areas.
“I have improved on driving to the basket and improving my shot form,” Martin said.
Playing with this group has been nothing but a joyful experience for Martin.
She said that they have grown even stronger over the years, too.
“It has strengthened our bond as a team, causing us to form close friendships and trust throughout the years,” Martin said. “We have grown up together and adapted to each other’s playing styles.”
Just as she’s improved, Martin also wants to see what the rest of the season has in store for her team.
The end goal for her is something the school hasn’t seen in quite some time.
“I hope to win a state championship; I also hope that we can continue to push each other to work hard and keep improving every game,” Martin said.
Kelsey Niemerg is also a three-year contributor on the team.
Her older sister, Olivia, played and was on the last Lady Shoes team to reach the state tournament in 2019.
One of the best defensive players in the area, Niemerg said she hopes to play to the best of her ability each night.
“I want to play to the best of my ability every game, make as many memories as I can and go as far as possible in the postseason,” Niemerg said. “Overall, I want to have fun and enjoy this last year of my basketball career.”
Niemerg finished with six points and six rebounds in the title game.
Mallory Bloemer and Eva Mette didn’t play in the championship game on Saturday.
Both still make an impact regardless of how many minutes they log.
Mette said she has grown both mentally and physically since her freshman year, while Bloemer’s knowledge of the game has improved since her first year in the high school program.
Thompson knows her coaching days are near the end; spending one of those years with a quality group like the one she has this year makes it that much more enjoyable.
“I’ve got kids who come in and want to work hard and do what we ask,” Thompson said. “Sometimes, what we ask isn’t fun, but these kids usually have a smile on their faces and they would run through a brick wall if we told them to. I love that part of it.”
“They are competitive,” Thompson continued. “In one of the practices, I was like, ‘Seniors, you’re on this team. Let’s put the juniors and sophomores on the other team and let’s play.’ You could see the flicker in their eyes right then and there.
“They were not going to get beaten by the younger kids. That was good to see. That competitiveness, I loved.”