Weltz returns to guide Lady Devils

Ryan Weltz has been down this coaching road before, only it was with the Noxon boys basketball team, not with the Lady Red Devils.

Returning to the sidelines to take over the Noxon girls program, Weltz said he is glad to be back in the head coaching game, after spending the last few seasons serving as an assistant for the Devil boys team.

Weltz, a Noxon graduate himself, head coached the Devil boys for several years. One of his teams from that previous coaching stint, led by Noxon hoop legends Daniel Beaudin and Kevin Wilson, advanced all the way to the State C tournament. But state tournament glory is not necessarily his motivation this time around.

“They said they needed a coach and I decided to get back in,” he said. “I’m excited, this coaching stuff gets in your blood. It should be a fun season, we are looking forward to it.”

Both Noxon teams will open season play in the Western C Tip-Off Tournament in Frenchtown this week. The Lady Devils will play Darby Friday and Victor Saturday.

Weltz will be turning to seniors Delaney Weltz, his daughter who was recently named to the All-State C volleyball team, and Kristina Brown, who was also a first team all-conference pick in volleyball, for leadership. Delaney is Noxon’s only returning 14C basketball all-conference pick from last year, and Brown has also been a key player for the Devils throughout her high school career in Noxon.

“Those two will need to be team leaders for us, we are pretty young and inexperienced overall,” he said. “We have good team speed and quickness, we will just have to figure out where everyone fits in with each other best.”

Weltz figures District 14C will again be a tough place to play. “It seems like this conference has been tough every year lately,” he said. “Arlee has some of the best players in the league, Charlo is always tough, Hot Springs is up and coming and Plains has a new coach with a lot of talent to work with.

“There will be no easy games in District 14C this season,” he concluded.

In addition to his daughter and Brown, Weltz lists Kali Murray, Madi Koonce, Rachel Ehinger and Chelsey Vohs as being the favored candidates for playing time this season. He said there are a total of 12 players out for Noxon hoops, including a couple of eighth graders.