Boonsboro hoops legend takes over as Warriors' girls basketball coach

Jerica (Hewett) Wetzel is more than just a former star basketball player at Boonsboro High School. She’s a legend, the measuring stick for all future Warriors.

Wetzel graduated from Boonsboro in 2007 as a two-time Herald-Mail player of the year, and she still holds program records for career points (1,197), assists (448) and steals (419).

Last year, coach Buck Waters created the Jerica Wetzel Award, to be given annually to one Boonsboro girls basketball player, and the writing on the plaque says it all.

It reads, “As a player, Jerica’s competitive fire, dedication and determination are the standards to which we measure Boonsboro girls basketball.”

As it turns out, now Wetzel also has the duty of trying to instill that same kind of energy in the Warriors.

She recently was named the varsity head coach, replacing Waters, who spent three seasons at the helm.

Building off the region title

Last season, Wetzel assisted Waters while also serving as Boonsboro’s JV girls coach.

“Coach Waters had reached out to me on references for a junior varsity coach, and after some time, he was not able to find anyone so I then agreed to come on board, which was supposed to be a season-by-season thing,” she said. “But then of course, when he stepped back from head coaching, it kind of opened the door for other opportunities.

“I can’t say it’s something that’s always been on my list, but as I’ve aged and as I’ve grown as a person and now that I have my own kids, and they are interested in the sport, it’s natural.”

Last season, the Boonsboro girls, without any seniors, finished with an 8-16 record, but not before stunning heavily favored Catoctin 35-32 in the 1A West Region II final for the program’s first region title.

“What I’m most looking forward to is that we’re having the same group of girls coming back,” Wetzel said. “They’re familiar with me and my style of coaching, so that’s really going to be something that we can build off of from last year. It’s not going to be a new person coming in the door that they have to learn ins and outs from.  

“There will still be a few changes, but we’ll be continuing off of what we already had in place. Those familiar faces, having them come back, makes it so much easier for me to already know their strengths, weaknesses, tendencies and what we need to work on and grow from.”

Mopping floors

After graduating from Boonsboro, Wetzel had a standout career for the Shepherd University women’s basketball team as a 5-foot-8 point guard. She was a two-time team captain and led the Rams in steals and assists for three straight seasons.

On the all-time Shepherd career lists, she currently ranks fourth in steals (198), ninth in assists (317), 20th in rebounds (553) and 23rd in points (948) — and maybe No. 1 in effort.

“I was called a ‘mop of the floor’ numerous times because, loose balls, I would never hesitate to dive on the floor,” Wetzel said. “I would finish games covered in bruises and ice packs, just from simply hitting the floor and going hard and having that defensive mentality.”

It’s that kind of mindset she wants her Boonsboro players to have.

“The team needs an identity,” she said. “In the past, I don’t think they’ve ever really been known for one thing, so we’re working through the strengths of the girls that we have to create that identity and what Boonsboro will be known for.

“I’m a very defensive-oriented person, so it will most likely start with the defense and being able to transition and run out of that on offense for more opportunities.”

Wetzel lives in Keedysville with her husband Matt, daughter Juliana, 9, and son MacCoy, 7.

She said she plans to coach the Warriors for at least the next several years.

“Looking at the future would be to coach our daughter as she comes up through the program,” Wetzel said, “as long as that’s what’s best for her and the program itself.”