Wildcat girls will factor in NCC basketball

Some people might be inclined to overlook the Humboldt girls’ basketball team this season.

After graduating five seniors and the school’s all-time leading scorer in Morgan Mann from last year’s squad that went 12-11 overall, 7-5 and third in the North Central Conference, just three letterwinners return for veteran head coach Rodd Mooney and his squad.

Nonetheless, Mooney and his assistants are excited about the return of three letterwinners in seniors Ava Fischer and Payton Elman, along with junior Jada VanDeWall. The Wildcats have a solid senior class of five players ready to step up and do their part as regular varsity performers. Factor in some talented players in the junior, sophomore and freshman classes, along with some size and quickness, the Wildcats’ development will be fun to watch over the next three months.

“Early in pre-season practice I’m super excited about the energy we have when we enter the gym each day. Kids are happy to be there. We’re having fun. We graduated a lot of minutes last year and so there’s a lot of opportunity for girls to step into a role,” Mooney said.

“In the last few years, the kids have been having a lot of fun playing basketball and being together. I think it shows we have a nice group. They are enjoying it. They are playing hard and working hard against each other, but at the same they doing with smiles on their faces,” Mooney said.

“That’s the kind of environment we want our kids to be in,” Mooney said.

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2025-26 HUMBOLDT GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Dec. 2 at Manson-NW
Dec. 4 Webster City
Dec. 8 at Fort Dodge
Dec. 9 Newell-Fonda
Dec. 12 at Clarion
Dec. 16 at Hampton
Dec. 19 Clear Lake
Jan. 3 at Mason City
Jan. 6 FD St. Edmond
Jan. 9 at Iowa Falls
Jan. 13 South Central Calhoun
Jan. 16 at Algona
Jan. 19 Charles City
Jan. 20 Clarion-GD
Jan. 23 at Webster City
Jan. 27 Hampton-DC
Jan. 30 at Clear Lake
Feb. 2 at FD St. Edmond
Feb. 6 Iowa Falls-Alden
Feb. 7 at Charles City
Feb. 10 Algona
Feb. 14 Regional

HUMBOLDT ROSTER
Seniors: Payton Elman, Kate Sievers, Kiera Anderson, Abby Armitage, Ava Fischer.
Juniors: Gracelyn Illg, Jada VanDeWalle, Adelyn Vinsand.
Sophomores: Landry Lash.
Freshmen: Kayleigh Vinsand, Olivia Illg, Charlie Smith, Brayleigh Angstrom, Elyn Olson.
Coach: Rodd Mooney, 25th year, 252-277 Humboldt, 264-287 overall.