By Tyler Ellyson / The Columbus Telegram tellyson@columbustelegram.com
SCHUYLER — Every time the Schuyler girls basketball team stepped onto the court last season, there was one player opposing defenses knew they had to contain.
But shutting down Maddy Wolfe is easier said than done.
The 5-foot-9 forward was a nearly unstoppable force down low for the Warriors as she led the district and finished seventh in Class B with 13 points per game.
Instead of letting the consistent double-teams frustrate her, Wolfe accepted the challenge and used the extra defensive attention to fuel her game.
"It was kind of motivation for me," said Wolfe, the team's leading scorer and rebounder the past two seasons.
A four-year varsity player for Schuyler, Wolfe learned early on how to battle inside against taller opponents. As a freshman, she went up against former Warrior standouts Logan Drueppel and Jill Brichacek during practice.
"They kind of motivated me," Wolfe said. "I wanted to work as hard as they do. When I got on the court, I just went as hard as I could."
That hard work paid off in her junior and senior seasons, when Wolfe became the focal point of the Schuyler offense.
She scored 305 points in 2015-16, including a season-high 22 against Boys Town, while averaging seven rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest. Those numbers earned her a spot on the All-Central Conference East Division First Team and Telegram All-Area Second Team and made her an honorable mention Class B All-State selection by the Omaha World-Herald.
She also got the attention of Central Community College head women's basketball coach Mike Kroupa, who recruited her to join the Raiders this fall.
"Maddy is a solid forward with a lot of upside," Kroupa said. "She can play multiple positions and defend both the wing and post. We are excited to have Maddy join the Raider program."
Schuyler head girls basketball coach Gary Schaeffer said Wolfe also developed into a leader on the court for the Warriors, along with fellow senior Rebecca Folda.
"She's going to be missed next year for sure," he said.
The 17-year-old, who also played volleyball and soccer for Schuyler, chose Central because it's close to home — allowing her parents Jenna and Dale Wolfe to attend more games — and fits her long-term goals.
"I think it was financially the best decision for me, and the coach is awesome," Wolfe said. "It was kind of the big picture; everything worked out well."
She plans to major in biology, then attend dental school, and hopes to continue playing basketball after transferring from Central following her two years there.
"I just have such a love for it," Wolfe said of the sport.