Shelby ended last season on a high note, winning a second consecutive district championship. With new coach Joe Gorton at the helm and a talented group of players back, there’s optimism the Tigers can go for a “three-peat.”
Gorton was the JV coach last season and has varsity coaching experience from his seven years with Pentwater girls basketball. He takes over for Pete Peterson, who retired from coaching earlier this school year after many years of helping build both the Tigers’ boys and girls programs.
“Our previous tournament success was a big talking point this preseason,” Gorton said. “We know that in order for us to be in the best position to contend in the tourney, we need to make the most of every minute we can against high quality competition during the regular season.”
Shelby gets plenty of those opportunities, competing in a West Michigan Conference almost exclusively composed of much larger schools. That contributed to the Tigers’ record being less than they would’ve preferred last year, but it also helps get them ready to compete in the postseason.
“I think the confidence level is in the right place for this squad,” Gorton said. “They have their sights set on another mitten, but they know what they need to do in order to make that happen.”
The Tigers are blessed with many talented athletes and return all but two starters from the 2025 team. Combined with a promising group of up-and-comers, it creates a formidable lineup for opponents.
“We bring in some really strong talent to bolster (our returners),” Gorton said. “This is probably the deepest team we’ve had in a while.”
Up front, sophomore Annabelle Stark and senior Kylie Brown bring speed and strength to the attacking part of the lineup. In the midfield, Shelby is excited for the return of junior Lydia Soelberg, who missed last season with a knee injury. Junior Kylee Hanson and sophomore Michelle Peterson also bring great skill to their roles, and Gorton thinks Peterson can provide some great versatility.
“Kylee really showed out towards the end of last year, and her offseason has just been more of the same,” Gorton said.
Despite coming off the district title, there will be plenty of motivation for the Tigers game to game. First of all, their last time on the field was a heartbreaking and controversial 1-0 defeat to Midland Calvary Baptist in last June’s regional semifinal. Shelby also will play several opponents who beat the Tigers in very close games last year. In WMC play alone, Hart, Manistee, Montague, Ravenna and Oakridge won by two goals or fewer in 2025 matchups. An early-season tournament at McBain NMC will give the Tigers a look at potential district foes.
“We really want to go out and avenge some tough losses from last year,” Gorton said. “We had some hiccups early in the season last year, and we would love to have some more goals find the back of the net early in the year.”
