Role players will key 2024-25 Lady Hounds

FORT MADISON - Fort Madison’s girls basketball team opened the season with a 46-43 overtime loss that had coach Landon Bentley thinking good things about his team.
“Ottumwa is No. 15 in Class 5A in a preseason ranking, a solid team with a good group of seniors, and we gave them a run for their money,” Bentley said. “And we competed. I liked seeing that.”
The Bloodhounds return several key players from a team that went 14-8 overall, 7-3 in the Southeast Conference, last season, and Bentley saw them make big plays in the season opener.
Junior Dayonna Davis, the team’s leading scorer last season, opened the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Hadley Wolfe, who started every game last season, also had 16 points.
“Those two have really stepped up their leadership,” Bentley said. “Dayonna just does so many things. She’s really grown since her freshman year, and you could see her mental toughness in that game. Hadley’s always played with a chip on her shoulder. She’s our dog. She has started since her freshman year because of the way she plays defense, and she just keeps getting better.”
The Bloodhounds were missing junior Halle Menke, the team’s third leading scorer last season, who was out with an illness. Menke has missed practice time and Bentley said she was working to get back on the court.

“Halle, she's going to be a force,” Bentley said. “I'd say she's probably been her most consistent in the weight room in the offseason and at the gym. She's developed a jump shot that she found late last year. She's really grown with that., worked on it, and we've been working on just her physicality and her presence inside, being able to finish around the rim.”
Sophomore Reilynn Turnbull, who played every game last season, has worked her way into the starting lineup, as has sophomore Charley Huebner.
“Reilynn played a lot last year and she knows what to do,” Bentley said. “Charley really had a great offseason. She’s grown a lot as a player.”
Junior Jakayla Nelson, a newcomer to the Bloodhounds, had a solid debut with six points against Ottumwa.
Fort Madison has just one senior — guard Katelyn Sissel. Also on the varsity roster are juniors Maleena Bentley and Ellie Huebner, and sophomores Molly Schulte, Alaina Schwerin and Adelyn Lampe.
Nineteen players from grades 9-12 are in the program this season.
“The key is going to be buying into our roles and understanding that every role is just as important the next person, whether you're the person that is getting after loose balls, grabbing a rebound, making the extra pass, or whether your role is to get to the rim, hit that shot,” Bentley said. “It's just going to be everybody buying into their role and playing defense. That's where that's where we're best at. That's how we win our games — attacking the glass and playing hard-nosed defense on the ball.”