Suffering the loss of their leading scorer, Lee McMullin, and two other seniors, Jan Gagstetter and Natalie Fries, varsity girls basketball is facing a shift in the team dynamic.
“The seniors last year were great leaders and provided a great environment,” varsity coach John Sloop said. “But there are great kids in the program who will continue to build on the foundation put before them.”
With a varsity team made up of seven returning junior and seniors, there will still be a sense of consistency throughout the team. The Lady Longhorns look to use this as an advantage to improve last season’s 8-7 record.
“I’m just excited to get back on the court and play with all the same girls,” junior Ellie Widowski said. “I haven’t played a sport this year so I want to get out there and give it all I’ve got.”
While the team is devoted to winning, they have also put the same focus on having fun.
“It’s going to be great to meet any new players and have new team bonding experiences, like ending practices with trips to Buffalo Wild Wings,” senior Megan Loaney said.
Tryouts begin Monday Nov. 2 where the team will prepare for their first Jamboree game against Mehlville on Nov. 18. Their first regular season game is at home on Dec. 7 against Fort Zumwalt East.
“It’s really nice having experienced players who know the system because we won’t have to spend a lot of practice time on basic things,” Loaney said.