Shooting for the stars Girls varsity posts 12-2 District record, passes Churchill in Bi-District Finishing 2nd in District with an overall record of 28-6, the varsity girls basketball team pushed through struggles and obstacles to stay at the top of its game and keep the tradition of excellence alive. New and seasoned basketball players made up the team of 13 girls whose ultimate goal was to win this year’s State Championship. This team certainly did not lack in devotion. Many players were injured or hurt, yet were still committed to the team. “This year there were lots of struggles with injuries,” point guard junior Rose Minutaglio said. “[Junior] Hannah Coley tore her ACL and [junior] Jackie Manzano also hurt her knee. It’s hard to see your teammates hurt, but they both came back and played, which showed real dedication.” Aside from injuries, the girls also realized that other teams were stepping it up as well. Tough losses and close games tainted their District record of 12-2. “We played a lot of quality teams and we had a couple of tough losses,” coach Keith Smith said. “The biggest thing is we thought that we could have won a couple of battles that we didn’t.” Finding the chemistry and balance between strengths and weaknesses on this team was a crucial part of the success they had. “I think the biggest struggles we faced this year were finding our identity and being consistent in how we played,” point guard junior Cherrell Mays said. “I feel that the game we won against Pflugerville was our best performance and showed how good we could be if we could stay consistent and hungry for success.” They began their playoff run Feb. 16, beating San Antonio Churchill 51-37 in a Bi-District match-up. “I think as a team we all played really well,” sophomore Jaimie Grace said. “Even though the game was close at times, I was confident we could win.” The Lady Chaps then faced San Antonio John Jay Feb. 20 for the Area game, losing 50-52 in a heartbreaker. One key to this year’s success lay in the rigorous practices. “A typical practice consisted
Barrett Wilson
Dribbling the ball, junior Rose Minutaglio takes it down the court. Rose added 12 points in the Chaps’ victory over Anderson, clinching the team’s spot in playoffs.
of agilities, team stretching and drills, such as the flying three,” Rose said. “Then we split up into posts and guards to work towards our individual strengths. Then we usually scrimmaged. We ended with free throws — we had to make seven in a Barrett Wilson row.” As the Up in the air, junior Hannah Coley takes a shot against Anderson, winning 78-50 with end of the an overall District record of 12-2. “This year’s team was a lot of fun,” Hannah said. “I school year loved being a part of it.” approaches, the seniors are starting to wrap up their high school careers and move on. A chance to play collegiately is coming up for a handful of seniors on the varsity team, including senior Courtney Deuver. For Courtney, the dream of playing basketball at the collegiate level has become reality. She signed with Central Arkansas University where she will be attending in the fall. High school basketball more than just paves the way to play in college — it helps to prepare for various situations that will be encountered later in life. “High school basketball has taught me how to play with different people at different ages and skill levels and how to react to certain situations,” Courtney said. For others, such as guard sophomore Lindsey Harris, a varsity basketball career has just begun. Despite being as much as two grades younger than some other players, Lindsey keeps up with the others with hard work and dedication. “Sometimes the upperclassmen can be a bit intimidating, but that’s just a part of being an underclassman,” Lindsey said. “I definitely have to work hard to keep up, but I’m holding my own and they push me to try my best.” For others, the varsity basketball career hasn’t yet begun. This varsity team sets a high standard and is the emblem of skill and dedication. “Watching varsity really inspires me to become a better basketball player because it shows me a higher level of play and skill,” basketball player freshman Regan Eppright said. “It gives me hope that if I work hard I will be able to progress to that level and intensity.” —Sofia Mitre