5 March 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Hayden girls’ basketball is preparing for a trip to the state tournament this week.
The Wildcats defeated Jefferson West 69-31 in the sub-state championship on March 2 to secure a spot in the 3A state tournament. Head coach Carvel Reynoldson says the tough schedule his team faced this season, including a whole bunch of 5A and 6A opponents, prepared them well for the playoffs.
Hayden’s head coach has been telling his team to stay true to themselves while they prepare for a trip to the state tournament.
“We’re going to try to accentuate our strengths,” Reynoldson said. “We’re going to try and guard the ball a little bit better than we have recently. It was a strength and it’s going to be a strength again, but we struggled with that this [past] weekend. Like I said, we don’t have to do anything crazy, just be who we are and we’ll be okay.”
Reagan Huscher, a senior on the team, has been playing for Coach Reynoldson since she was in first grade.
She says the Wildcats’ goal this week is to have their three best practices of the year before Thursday’s state quarterfinal game.
“I hope people understand that we are truly a team of girls who are so dedicated to this sport and so dedicated to one another,” Huscher said. “And we hope that we represent the Hayden community well. We recognize that the Hayden community is so special.”
The Wildcats finished 17-4 in the regular season and dominated their opponents in sub-state matchups. They play Olathe-Heritage Christian Academy Thursday at 4 p.m. in Hutchinson.
With a win, Hayden could win up meeting unbeaten Silver Lake in the semifinals on Friday.