Since the majority of girls on the basketball team showed up to open gyms during the off season, Senior Kayla Angeline feels that this basketball season will be successful.
“The strongest part of this season is going to be working hard together to achieve what we want, which is playoffs,” Angeline said.
The open gyms were held three days a week beginning in early October. According to Angeline, attending these practices is crucial to get the girls in shape for the season.
These athletes undergo more conditioning and training than students realize. During the summer, they often compete in tournaments. Although the tournaments are not mandatory, they generate enough interest for the team to at least be able to use substitutes.
“[We have] the freshmen coming up and a couple [upperclassmen] new to the team. We’re getting a lot more in the gym in the off-season than in past years,” Angeline said.
Official season practices began on Nov. 18. The difference between the official practices and open gyms is the content. Season practices teach the girls plays and how to handle game-like situations while open gyms are more geared toward endurance and conditioning.
The first game took place on Nov. 23 in the high school gym against Union. It was a scrimmage, so it isn’t a part of the regular season. Sophomore Courtney Boehmer feels that the team is improving as individuals, which will help them move forward into achieving their goal of playoffs.
The next game will take place on Nov. 30 against Ellwood City, which is another scrimmage.
The official season begins on Dec. 6 and 7, and it is a weekend event tipoff against New Brighton. This event annually marks the beginning of the season for the girls.
According to Senior Salena Ritorto, this tip-off is not any different from a regular season game, but run more like a tournament. Here, the girls get to to play against teams that aren’t in their section. There are usually winners and the points don’t matter for the rest of the season.
Last season, the girls lost their previous coach and had to get used to working with a brand new one. Some players, like Ritorto, have enjoyed the change.
“I think [Coach] John [Kaercher] has been doing good as a coach. He has brought us together as a team. Whenever we’re down in a game or struggling with something during practice, he never gives up on us. He has high expectations for the team to succeed and he believes in us no matter what,” Ritorto said.
Kaercher has high hopes for the season. “We want to play every game like it’s the last game of the season,” Kaercher said.