Sydney Wade had a remarkable senior season for the Iola Fillies to cap on her career. Wade is the Iola Register’s 2016-17 Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
The point guard’s role under the direction of Coach Becky Carlson was constantly evolving throughout the season, but what didn’t change was the consistently high level of play she brought to the court.
By the time conference play began, Carlson had come to the conclusion that Wade was going to need to be on the court at all times for the Fillies to reach the heights they wanted.
Wade had to work harder than any other area player to get her shot early in the season with the rest of the team struggling with illnesses and shooting slumps. Even so, Wade played nearly every minute for the Fillies and also often times was assigned the other team’s top offensive player, especially when her teammates were sick early in the season.
Her workload stayed consistent throughout the year, but her role slightly shifted as the year went on.
After starting the year hampered by illness, Iola senior Toni Macha began to find her groove midway through the year and that put Wade back into the role she seems to enjoy the most: facilitator.
Wade and Macha became a deadly duo for the Fillies, who ended the season on a tear and wound up third in the Pioneer League and came five points away from advancing past Burlington in the substate final.
Wade is also the point guard on the All-Area First Team.
Joining Wade in the backcourt on the First Team is Humboldt senior Tilar Wells.
Wells also had to deal with a slightly changing role throughout the season. When point guard Rylan Wilhite had to miss time with an ankle injury, Wells took more of the ball-handling responsibilities.
Throughout the season — no matter her offensive role — Wells was a consistent big-shot maker for the Cubs and was the a great defender for them on their run to state.
While Wells had her role shift for Humboldt without Wilhite, so did senior Makaylah McCall, who gets the other wing spot on the First Team.
McCall did it all for the Cubs this season as it seemed the coach Aubrey Jones could put McCall at any of the five spots on the floor and she was going to be successful.
McCall brought the ball up the court on many of the Cubs’ possessions, but also was a starting post for the entire season.
She is the most versatile player the area has and showed it down the stretch by leading the Cubs to the state tournament.
Macha was also a swiss-army knife for her team this season. With the Fillies graduating both starting wings from a year ago, Macha moved to more of a guard role this season, but she was still deadly on the low-block when the Fillies used her there.
