By JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

HOISINGTON — An undersized Hoisington Cardinal girls basketball team will play fast and aggressive. The height-challenged Cardinals have no other choice.
First-team all-league guard Rylie Koester (16.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 apg) joins two-year starter Karisa Schremmer (4.3 ppg), Marisa Jonas (3 ppg) and Emma Harmon (8.4ppg, 1.6 apg) as returning starters.
The Cardinals (7-14, 4-7 CKL) finished with a 50-36 loss to Phillipsburg in Class 3A substate play.
“We are excited about the start of a new season. The Cardinals are paced by senior Rylie Koester,” said Hoisington coach Mandy Mason. “Rylie has been a four-year starter for the Cardinals. Rylie led the team in scoring, averaging 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds last year. Our other seniors Karisa Schremmer and Marisa Jonas will bring great leadership to our team.  These girls have shown tremendous work ethics during the season and summer.”  
Other top players will be Tyann Schremmer, Jocelynn Pedigo, Delaney Smith, Vikki Donetz, Katherine Warnkin and Madie Wilborn.
Mason’s biggest concern is rebounding.
“We have a disadvantage with size,” Mason said. “We are undersized inside, but will look for some girls to step up their level of play and contribute with valuable minutes. We will have to play more physical than in the past to keep opponents off the offensive boards. Our lack of strength was a concern for us at the end of last season.”
The Cardinals will play a fast-paced style of basketball with a lot of pressure defense.
“Our strength for the upcoming season will be our athleticism,” Mason said. “We have the ability to run the floor from all five positions. The Cardinals are guard oriented and have the ability to create shots from the perimeter.”
Mason said her team has shown the capacity to improve in the off-season.
“We are excited about the start of a new season,” Mason said. “The girls have been very motivated and have put in some extra time to improve their individual skills. Our goal is to improve every day as an individual and as a team.”  
There are no easy games starting with Class 2A powerhouse Central Plains, the two-time defending state champion.
“We will need to show up ready to play every single night to compete in our league and regular season,” Mason said. “Our schedule is very tough. We start the year playing a very talented Central Plains team. The Gene Keady Pre-Season tournament is always a huge test for us. The Central Kansas League is a very tough league with a lot of talented players.”