Arlington Girls Basketball: A Linear Journey
Tashia Wolf, in her third season as the head coach of the varsity girls’ basketball team at Arlington High School, encourages her players during a home game. Wolf, who owns a career record of 45-12, guided the Eagles to the Class C1 state tournament (for the first time since 2001) last season. “I have been blessed with some great kids to get my start into being a head coach,” Wolf said. (Photo by Jack Denker/Sports Plus)
IT SEEMS as though no two basketball journeys are identical. But if there is a common theme, it’s turbulence. Basketball drags you on a roller-coaster ride, you fall in love with the game then fall out of it. You make a breakthrough and then you hit a wall. The exhilarating successes are sandwiched by humbling failures. This is true even for the best high school basketball players and teams. Of course, their ebbs and flows are on a different scale, and their general trajectory is upward, but they have still had their struggles.
That’s what makes the rise of the Arlington High School girls basketball team over the last three years so remarkable-the linearity of it all. It’s uninterrupted. There is, simply put, a whole lot of good: three straight winning seasons (producing a 55-19 overall record from 2022-2025), a Nebraska Capitol Conference title in 2025 and a C1-7 district title also in 2025.
AHS Coach Tashia Wolf will tell you that she and her players are anything but satisfied. That despite how it might appear, the Eagles don’t have everything figured-out. There is, however, ample evidence to the contrary.
“The last three years have truly been a journey,” Wolf said. “There have been highs and lows throughout these years. In the last two seasons, especially, the highs have far outweighed the lows.”
The highest of the highs-for Arlington-was earning a trip to the Class C1 state basketball tournament last season (2024-2025), for the first time in 24 years (they last qualified in 2001) and only the third time in school history.
“Every team starts the season with dreams of making it to the big stage in the postseason,” Wolf said. “I remember talking about that dream back in junior high when I was coaching the girls. From day one, we instilled the belief that with hard work, commitment, and a willingness to seize every opportunity, reaching the state tournament wasn’t just a dream. It was a real possibility. When it finally happened, the feeling was surreal. Being at the Devaney as a team-not as spectators-was unlike anything else. It was something I had always hoped they’d get the chance to experience. Everything moved so quickly that sometimes it still feels like it was all a dream. But the journey we took together, the belief we built day-by-day, that’s what made it all worth it.” Even though the Eagles lost 61-40 to Milford in the first-round of the Class C1 state tournament last year, Wolf believes her players won’t let that setback derail the linearity of their journey. Instead, Wolf, who begins the third year of her head coaching career at AHS, said she hopes the upward trajectory of their journey continues this season.
“Our girls most definitely have big expectations for themselves this season,” Wolf said. “But I also don’t want the pressure of what we accomplished last year to hold them back. I don’t want them to play tight or scared, trying to live up to the past. I want them to play with the passion and desire I know they have. The same heart that got us to where we are now. These girls understand that every season is different. So, yes, they do want to see themselves back in Lincoln the first week of March. If they keep doing things the right way, together, there should be a fighting chance to accomplish that again this year.”
Just two starters return from an Arlington team that posted a 21-5 record and finished ranked No. 8 in Class C1 at the end of the 2024-2025 season. No need to worry, Eagle fans, because those two players-seniors Emme Timm and Macy Wolf-are both four-year varsity starters who have made this journey together.
Steady improvement in every major statistical category each of the last three seasons reached a peak last year (as juniors) when Timm averaged 14.6 points and 6.0 assists per game from her point guard position, while Wolf contributed 11.4 points and 4.3 rebounds from her shooting guard spot.
“It’s been incredible to watch their growth over the years,” Wolf said. “They’ve poured countless hours into basketball, especially in the off-season. They have both grown into great team-oriented players. They are insanely competitive, but have an unwavering love for their teammates and the game.”
The Arlington girls also return three other players (senior forward Valeria Carvajal at forward, junior post Hayley Arp and sophomore guard Lauren Pittman) who saw significant playing time last year.
The athleticism and skills are already present on her team Wolf said. Now it’s about unlocking that potential and learning how to grow by embracing what each individual brings to the team. She said the keys to success-for the Eagles-will be consistency, accountability and chemistry.
“We have the talent,” Wolf said, “we know that. It’s going to come down to showing-up every day with purpose, holding ourselves and each other to a high standard and trusting the process as a group. If we stay connected, play for each other and focus on our growth over perfection, I believe we’ll put ourselves in a great position to succeed.”
Arlington, who enters the 2025-2026 season as the top team from the Metro area in Class C1, will join Lincoln Christian, Malcolm, Milford, Central City, Minden, Columbus Scotus and Raymond Central as some of the most highly regarded teams in Class C1 to start this season.
“It’s always an honor to be recognized, and it speaks to the hard work our players and program have put in, but rankings don’t win games,” Wolf said. “Our focus is on the daily habits that got us here in the first place. We’re proud of the respect our program has earned, but our goal is to stay hungry, keep improving and prove ourselves every time we step on the court. There are a lot of great teams coming back this year into the Class C1 ranks.” Story by Jack Denker/Sports Plus
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