It’s been an interesting year for Viking girls’ Head Coach Todd Toulouse. He took over a successful program run by the very popular Coach T.J. Super who left last spring to coach and teach in southern Minnesota.
The team started off with three wins and then ran into a tough schedule that saw more losses than wins. Some frustration set in, but still, the team worked hard, gave 100 percent and kept improving. Toulouse commented about his first season and his three seniors.
“I was fortunate enough to have coached the girls this year and learned a lot about myself and how to be a better coach. The girls ended up coming around towards the end of the season, but at times it felt like an uphill battle. I grew to care so much about each one of them that I was truly saddened that our season came to an end earlier than I thought it would.
“One thing I learned was that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what your record is. It is about, ‘Did the girls have fun and did they get better?’
“If the girls were smiling during games I knew they were playing well because they were having fun. If they were getting better and having fun then the wins and losses would take care of themselves. I have become a better coach because of them and even more importantly a better person.”
At season’s end, Toulouse’s squad won as many games as Super’s firstyear squad and his team went to the quarterfinals where they nearly upset No. 1 ranked McGregor. With a young team coming back the future looks bright for the Vikings, but missing next year will be three seniors who gave a lot to the program, and Coach Toulouse had some things to say about his outgoing players.
“The one thing that really stands out about Kait [Kaitlynn Linnell] is her basketball I.Q. She understood what we were trying to accomplish on both ends of the floor and always knew where to be positioned. Even though she had a nagging knee injury she fought through it and didn’t miss a game because of it. We knew we could always rely on her inside and she was always working on her game in practice.
“In my opinion Kait was a silent leader. She led more by example than with words. I will remember how well she defended against Savannah Trapp when we played Esko and the two big games she had against Silver Bay [24 points and 26 rebounds in both games combined].
About senior Leah Utities, Toulouse said, “There are many positive things about Leah’s game, but the one that will always stick out is the fact she always hustled in practice and games. She made the younger players better by showing them how hard to go in practice. In games Leah was never shy at taking the open shot. Whenever Leah had the ball in a game she had two speeds, fast—and faster. She would fly up the court when she had the ball always looking for the open player or looking to drive and score herself.
“There are many great moments that I will always remember about Leah, but the one that stands out the most is where she hit a 3-pointer against Mesabi East with less than a minute left to put the game into overtime.”
“If you were fortunate enough to watch Theresa [Morrin] play you would know that she was not going to back down from a challenge. She hustled in practice and worked hard on her shot. Her knowledge of basketball at the fundamentals was evident when she played. She was extremely aggressive in games and when the team needed her most she stepped up.
“Theresa had many great moments during the season and it is hard to pick just one to talk about, but the one I will always remember is the game against Wrenshall when we were missing three starters. She put the team on her shoulders and became a leader on the floor. Other coaches in the Polar League also acknowledged her basketball prowess by voting her honorable mention all-conference.”
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