After a over a year of waiting and wondering and hoping, we are really happy to have a season. It is coming at us hard and fast right now, with games coming at us in waves. The OSAA will not be holding a state tournament this year, but several Athletic Directors and Coaches around the state at our level are working hard to ensure that we get some sort of playoffs for kids to participate in.
We’ve been practicing for two weeks now and already have two games under our belts. We had kids finishing softball and track season and several others scrambling to make adjustments with their employers, so we have only had one practice so far where we had our entire roster together on the same night. It’s been crazy and will continue to change quickly, but we are excited to be in the gym again, competing and getting better.
Our kids have shown tremendous resilience with all of the adjustments and changes thrown at them regularly and it all starts with our four seniors Sierra Fitzhugh, Lexi Schofield, Shelby Jirsa, and Tilly Peters toset the tone for our team and they’ve done a great job. They are competitive kids who will do whatever it takes to compete in games this year.
We’ve had one game added with less than 24 hours notice. Another game canceled (hopefully rescheduled) due to a shortage of referees. Two league opponents dropped their JV schedule and another league opponent dropped their Varsity schedule. Every time the CDC (and in turn, the OHA) update their guidelines, our kids wait to see how that will affect their season. From wearing masks, to social distancing on the bench, procedural changes in how games are officiated, to limitations on how many people can attend games, our kids simply come to practice every day, ready to work and improve, willing to jump through whatever hoops are set before them.
On the court this year, we’ll look to our seniors to carry the load for us offensively as our younger players learn to play together in their roles, We hope to play fast this year on both ends of the floor and with sophomores Marissa Scott and Ashlyn Schofield (both listed at 5’ 10”), we have better size inside than we had on last year’s state tournament team.
Juniors Faith Burton and Charlie Nolte have been strong for us off the bench. They are both feisty defenders with the ability to knock down open shots. Fellow junior Skylar Gallagher joins us after a 5th place finish in the triple jump at the state track meet and will add great length
and athleticism to our group, helping us especially in the full court. Sophomore Rockette Marrington has grown by leaps and bounds and has been strong for us on both ends of the floor this year.
We are looking forward to playing as many games as we can get in this year. With pre-season practices started and then stopped due to Covid protocols and then started all over again, our girls have been waiting a long time for this. They’ve worn masks, and practiced alone at baskets, unable to be within 6 feet of each other. They’ve done all that’s been asked of them and are excited to finally reap the rewards of getting some live, competitive games.
