5 March 2024
SILVER LAKE (KSNT) – For the first time in program history, Silver Lake girls’ basketball is headed to the state tournament four seasons in a row.
The Lady Eagles are the top seed in the 3A bracket, entering the quarterfinal round a perfect 23-0. Only four opponents have stayed within 20 all year against Kyle Porter’s team.
“We’ve been there four times, so it’s basically our home arena, we have that advantage over a lot of teams,” senior McKinley Kruger said. “And then, second of all, I think our team chemistry is the best it’s ever been, playing with these seniors for four years and then having experienced underclassmen who are ready to step up and face the challenge as well.”
“I feel like we’ve just been playing together forever,” senior Makenzie McDaniel said. “Even before high school these have been my teammates… I feel like we’ve grown so much.”
The team is aware of what a state title would mean to the school and community.
“It would mean a lot to everybody,” senior Kaibryn Kruger said. “Obviously, the basketball team, it’s everything we’ve always dreamed of but to the community it’s something they’ve always expected of us and it feels like we haven’t been able to deliver that for them. To be able to meet their expectations and finally do that for this last time, they’d be really supportive and proud of all of us.”
However, they won’t be thinking about it too much in the days leading up to the state tournament, and certainly won’t have time to dwell on the possibility of history when it comes time to take the court in Hutchinson.
“It would mean mission accomplished for us,” head coach Kyle Porter, who has taken the team to the state tournament in each of his four seasons at the helm, said. “I think this is a goal our program and specifically our seniors have had for four years. In order for us to do that, we got to play it one game at a time. So, we’re looking forward to it and it would mean a lot.”
The Lady Eagles return back to that familiar gym in Hutchinson, Kansas, hoping the drive back to Silver Lake will consist of a better mood than previous seasons.
“I think the experience of the feeling of being at Hutch is something we can use to better ourselves every year,” senior Sarah Wehrli.
Time will tell, but the confidence is there.
“I feel like this is definitely the year,” senior Kaylee Deiter said.