Matthew Lee and Mehmet Zorluoglu
Sports Reporters
After going 17-5 last season, the girls’ basketball team looks to improve on that record going into the 2015-16 campaign.
The team is ready to rumble, led by experienced senior Emily Chang, a two-time Dual County League All Star and Co-League MVP, 2015 DCL All-Star Zoe Foster and rising star Veronica Burton, who garnered DCL All-Star and Co-League MVP honors last season.
This year, former assistant coach Joe Rogers will be granted a new found responsibility as he becomes the team’s new head coach, taking over from longtime head man Sam Doner.
Senior captain Rachel Goose hopes the change will go over well. “This year, with a new coach and everything, we have to be able to focus and get used to some changes,” she said.
He has already made a significant impact on senior captain Kim-An Quinn.
“A quote our coach uses is ‘to chase better everyday’ and that’s what we have been focusing on,” she said.
Both Goose and Quinn wish to return to the playoffs again and have hopes of winning the DCL. Despite last year’s success, the team expects improved competition heading into the new season.
“This year we’re playing much harder teams because of how well we did last year,” Goose said. “It’ll be much more of a challenge, but, I think we have the skill level to beat whoever we play.”
Although the team lost five seniors from last season, they hope their additional training during the offseason will make up for the loss of experience.
Junior Sarah King and sophomore Paige Ollivierre have been commended for working hard over the offseason and expect to play bigger roles to fill in the gaps of the graduated seniors.
The team hopes that the determination of these players will compensate for the loss of last season’s upperclassmen.
“It’s always hard to lose seniors,” Quinn said, “but we are lucky to have a lot of returning players that have played a lot during the offseason and are willing to work hard during the season as well.”
The players have placed an emphasis on improving team chemistry as well. They understand how crucial camaraderie is for their ability to enjoy success on the court, according to their captains.
“We’re a very close group and we all love to be with each other which wasn’t always the case last year,” Goose said. “I think that our closeness will help improve every aspect of our team’s success.”
Supporting this notion, the captains of the team are making a concerted effort to emphasize team morale.
“I’d like to make this season great for everyone,” Goose said. “I don’t really care about how many minutes I play. I just want to be a good captain for everyone and try to make sure everyone on the team has the best experience possible.”
Led by their starting trio of DCL All Stars, the Lions hope to be a strong contender for the top spot in the DCL this season.
