By: Ryan Duey
Clay Center Community High School girls’ basketball head coach Dalton Haist and senior players Raegann McDonald and Ayla Johnson were guest speakers at the Lions Club weekly meeting on December 17th.
McDonald and Johnson spoke about the team’s goals for the season. The goals of the team are to stay undefeated at home, win League, host and win Sub-State, and make the State Tournament. Johnson said they are working hard in practice to help reach those goals.
Coach Haist said he never saw himself being a girls’ coach. He said it’s very enjoyable working with the team.
“In the first six years I coached, it was all boys, but God has a weird way of working things out and I ended up assisting for a year, and then Jeff left and here we are three years later.”
“This is something I never saw coming, but it’s probably the biggest blessing in my life. Having an opportunity to lead them has given me a whole new perspective on things.”
Haist became the girls’ coach when the current seniors were freshmen and has coached them all through high school. He spoke a bit about the senior group.
“It’s very enjoyable and they’re a phenomenal group. I couldn’t be more thankful for the group that we have. They came in my first year as freshmen. I got to coach them in JV that first year, and we’ve got to roll in Varsity these last three years. The girls mean a lot to me and our program. To see them continue to grow and flourish and have success is very gratifying.”
The team has started the early season undefeated at 4-0 with two district wins. The squad is working very hard to reach their goals.
