Girls basketball: Numbers low, but optimism high for Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland

Low numbers this season will force the Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland girls basketball co-op to play its varsity games at 5:30 p.m., with reduced-minute junior-varsity games following the varsity contests.

While that’s not exactly good news, the fact that the returning players making up those lower roster numbers for FCW are awfully good ones is an encouraging sign for the Falcons.

Three-year starting point guard Raegan Montello returns for her senior season, and sophomore wing Ella Derossett is back after a freshman season that saw her adapt incredibly well to the varsity game en route to a double-digit scoring average and honorable mention honors from both the powerhouse Heart of Illinois Conference and The Times All-Area Team.

Senior varsity newcomer Kayli Brooke, sophomores Tiffany Ruestman and Amelia Ulrich, and freshmen Makayla Chapman, Kora Edens, Emme Wallace and Kaylee Delheimer round out the varsity roster and the program’s numbers.

“I have seen our two seniors step up already with leading this team, both on and off the court,” FCW fourth-season head coach Danielle Edens said. “I know we will see returning starters Raegan Montello and Ella Derossett step up this season, but already have seen some of our freshmen step in to some important roles on this team. ...

“These underclassmen have an opportunity to make a difference in this program and to step into some big shoes. I am looking forward to see how this pans out this season.”

Seven of the players on the nine-girl varsity roster are also on the JV roster — hence the decision to play varsity contests first, so the players putting in doubleheaders will be fresher for the games that count most.

Last winter’s FCW team finished 3-27 overall and 1-11 in the Heart of Illinois Conference.

While Edens admits the program’s low numbers will likely make it “another growing season for us,” she also sees a lot to like in this year’s crop of Falcons, citing “court awareness, determination, a desire to improve, mental toughness, coachability and passion” as strengths of this year’s team.

She also likes Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland’s roster versatility and what that could mean for how the Falcons choose to compete on any given night.

“With this group of girls, I see us going from up-tempo to a half-court game, depending on our opponents,” she said. “We can do both, so will hopefully have some teams guessing.”

The Falcons open the season at home in Flanagan, hosting the Integrated Seeds-sponsored portion of the dual-site Falcon-Irish Thanksgiving Tournament in a pool also featuring Marquette, Dwight and Class 2A fourth-place finisher Fieldcrest. Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland is in two additional tournaments before the IHSA postseason — taking part in Earlville’s Christmas tourney just after the holiday and the McLean County/Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament in mid-January.

Four of FCW’s scheduled home games — the first Nov. 28 against Calvary Christian — are slated to be played at Woodland, with the remainder at Flanagan-Cornell High School.

Asked for her goals for the team, Edens said, “To keep fighting every game and never quit, to grow as coaches, individual players and as a team and to improve our record from last season both overall and in the conference.”