By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Chet Reeder is entering Year No. 2 as head coach of the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes.

And he can tell a difference.

“With this group, we’ve already had a year of working together,” he noted. “The kids, especially the three seniors, have taken things by the reins. They know what to do and what the expectations are. Last year’s group didn’t know what to expect from me and I didn’t know what to expect from them. This year has been a little smoother.”

If Reeder’s second year is anything like his first, Wooden Shoes fans will have plenty to cheer about.

Last year, T-Town posted a 29-6 overall record and won a regional and sectional title before falling to Nashville in the super sectional.

But Reeder had to say goodbye to eight seniors on that squad, including two standout performers.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Schumacher scored 10 points in the fourth quarter Friday night, helping the Teutopolis Lady Shoes pull away for a 63-48 victory over Salem in an opening-round game of the 19th annual Lady Wildcat Thanksgiving Tournament in Salem.

The Lady Shoes built a 21-7 lead after the opening quarter, but the Lady Wildcats outscored T-Town 32-22 over the next two periods to close to within 43-39 heading into the final eight minutes.

But Schumacher, who also had 11 steals in the game, pumped in 10 points to help the Lady Shoes regain control and seal the victory.

The defensive pressure applied by Teutopolis was the difference. The Lady Shoes forced 30 turnovers in the contest and converted several of those into baskets. In addition to Schumacher’s 11, Olivia Niemerg also had seven steals in the game.

T-Town had four players reach double figures. Schumacher and Niemerg led the way with 16 points each, while Ciara Roepke scored 15 and Claire Bushur added 12.

The Lady Shoes, now 2-0, will play two tournament games today (Saturday). They will play Highland at noon and Carterville at 5:30 p.m. THS Coach Laurie Thompson expects both of those teams to be very good.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

It was a typical opening night performance.

Some good things.

Some bad.

But when the final horn sounded, the Teutopolis Lady Shoes had a season-opening 68-41 victory at home over Newton.

T-Town used its pressure defense to grab an early lead, saw its two guards turn in solid performances and had an opportunity to get players into a varsity contest for the very first time.

“Overall, I’m happy with how we played,” said THS coach Laurie Thompson. “We had some kids out there with no varsity experience whatsoever. It was nice to see them just go out and play.”

In the early minutes of the game, the Lady Shoes pressure defense proved difficult for Newton to handle. T-Town forced nine turnovers in the opening eight minutes and converted seven of those into points.

Claire Bushur scored the first five points of the season to give THS a quick lead and one it never relinquished. Bushur had seven points in the opening quarter and Olivia Niemerg hit a three at the buzzer, as Teutopolis jumped out to a 20-9 lead.

The Teutopolis Lady Shoes will face some tough competition while participating in the 19th annual Lady Wildcat Thanksgiving Tournament in Salem.

There are just five teams in this year’s field, but Carterville, Highland, Centralia and Salem could prove to be difficult tasks for the Lady Shoes.

T-Town opened play Friday night against the host Lady Wildcats and posted a 63-48 victory.

The Lady Shoes will play two games today (Saturday) – at noon against Highland and at 5:30 p.m. against Carterville.

The tournament will conclude on Saturday, Nov. 30 with a 1:30 p.m. contest against Centralia.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

What defines a successful program?

How about more than 1,000 wins in school history, 15 trips to the state tournament and five state championships?

How about 119 wins over four years and three trips to the state tournament?

That’s exactly the success the Teutopolis Lady Shoes have enjoyed the past four seasons.

But what happens when these good players graduate?

In many high schools, it means the end of a nice run.

In Teutopolis, it simply means another opportunity to reload.

It means another set of girls is ready to step up and continue the tradition.

There’s no such thing as rebuilding in T-Town. That’s a word that’s never used.

Take this year for example.