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It wasn’t difficult for the Bravettes to tame the Wild Kats in the Sept. 10 game against Columbia Falls, but the 73-42 victory came at a cost. In the third quarter, a dogpile on the court led to a fellow FHS team member falling on junior Josey Walterskirchen, causing a bad bone bruise in her left ankle.
“We thought it was a sprain and treated it as such,” said varsity basketball team coach Dennis Latimer. “But when she had to quit in a game against Whitefish (one week later) we knew it was serious.”
The injury came as a blow to the team’s shooting threat, with Walterskirchen — an off-guard in the number two position — confined to the sidelines. The team may have to wait anywhere from one to four weeks before Walterskirchen can resume her position.
“Now we don’t have a lot of depth at the guard position,” said Latimer. “(Walterskirchen) provides a scoring punch from the perimeter at three-point range.”
Walterskirchen, also known as “double zero” for her jersey number and class year 00, has a three-year history of being a key element on the basketball team. She played JV basketball as a freshman and participates in volleyball as well as the 200-, 400- and 800-meter dashes on the track team. Although Walterskirchen has patellar tendonitis in her left knee, she’s had no other sports- related injuries in her high school career.
“I’m sure I’m pretty lucky,” said Walterskirchen of her lack of injuries.
Unfortunately luck doesn’t set the grounds for a speedy recovery. The team may have to wait anywhere from one to four weeks before Walterskirchen can commune with the court again.
“I miss the intensity of the game,” said Walterskirchen. “I sit and watch (the practices) so I can learn the new plays. I’m there so I don’t miss anything.”
Even though Walterskirchen is benched, the temporary loss has provided an opportunity for others to improve their skills.
“With Josie gone, Jessica (Loutherback) had to step up and get the offence started,” said senior Teri Fetterhoff. “Everybody kept their expectations high and everybody knew what had to be done. We didn’t let her injury stop us from playing to our expectations”… and keep us from winning.
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