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The whistle cuts through the gymnasium as the ball arced into the air for the tip off. The sound of shoes squeaking on the floor diffused across the room and quickly grew louder. Within seconds, the players began crowding around the ball, and early passes began to occur.
The girls basketball team opened its season with a home game on Tuesday, Nov. 18, taking the court after five players graduated last year. With new athletes joining the roster, and returning players stepping into roles previously held by seniors last season, the team has spent time preparing since late October.
“Our team energy is definitely very positive, and everyone is excited for this game,” band senior and team captain Summer Irwin said.
Although early games of the season took place after fall break in previous years, this year, the team was scheduled for three games before break. This caused them to adjust to a faster transition into competition, with less time between tryouts, practices, and the game.
“The practices have been really productive. We are improving at the drills, the offense, and defense,” digital arts and photography sophomore and player Ella Strauss said. “The vibe between us is good, we have a lot of fun in practice. We ran team bonding drills, and I think we’re all in a nice place with each other right now.”
However, the team is focused on welcoming new teammates during practice drills with how they plan to operate on the court. They utilize “repetitive” drills to master execution, which they aim to carry into competition.
“With some new players that aren’t familiar with our usual drills and exercises, they have all been really quick to learn and have been picking up the routine very quickly,” Irwin said. “It’s also been nice to see the older players take on some leadership roles and help others when needed by offering tips or advice.”
After losing a large portion of last year’s roster, the team held pre-season practices to best prepare. Additionally, with a range of skill levels among the players, the team has been focused on getting everyone on the same page in regards to in-game situations. However, the after-school practices have focused on strengthening techniques and building camaraderie between teammates.
“The practices have been really productive. We are improving at the drills, the offense and defense,” Strauss said. “The vibe between us is good, we have a lot of fun in practice. We ran team bonding drills, and I think we’re all in a nice place with each other right now.”
After a warm-up and huddle, the girls took the court, playing against Berean Christian School. The starting line-up included communications junior and captain Kaitlyn Maldonado, band senior and captain Summer Irwin, vocal sophomore Addison Bracken, strings senior Petra Dababneh, and digital arts and photography sophomore Ella Strauss. Coming to the end of the first half of the game, the Lady Jaguars had around 30 points, with Irwin scoring the first one.
“The first half was pretty strong. We definitely had some nerves, but we were playing with confidence,” strings senior Petra Dababneh said. “We had a lot of points scored by Kaitlyn, who is our point guard.”
The previous season’s team included five seniors who filled roles on the court, both as leaders and players. The team lost three starters and three-point shooters. This year, the team enters the season with more new and less experienced players learning those responsibilities.
“We usually had a guaranteed amount of players, but now it is harder to fill our spots and have a lot of people on the team,” band senior Angelina Nesbitt said. “We have to take time to catch them up and teach them about the game.
The changes from last season have also placed responsibility on the current seniors, who have been involved in supporting the team’s preparation, specifically by guiding the newer members.
“(Losing the seniors) was a big deal since they were such important, influential leaders. A lot of them had been there on the team all four of their years here, and it has been a big change as those parts are now missing,” Nesbitt said.
During the second half of the game, the team began to become more familiar with the tactics of the other team, including their defense, which helped to get more passes, and ultimately, score more points.
“We had a really good idea of which players were shooting good three-pointers,” Dababneh said. “We also played better offense during the second half.”
As the preseason continued, the team worked on filling the gaps of on-court leadership left by last year’s graduated group. Scrimmages and drills helped players understand their responsibilities and coordinate the new lineup.
“We have had to make a few adjustments since we lost a good portion of our players last year, but this year’s team is rapidly becoming better and better each practice,” Irwin said.
After transitioning through shifts and preseason work, the team steps into the game at a “good place,” ready to apply the preparation and hard work they developed.
“Win or lose, I hope we play together as a team, and lift each other up regardless,” Irwin said. “I also hope we execute what we have been working on at practice and create a starting point we can grow from.”
The game resulted in a win for the Jaguars, with the final score being 47-18. With the game behind them, the Jaguars move on to their remaining preseason practices and upcoming matchups on the schedule.
“It was great to start with a win, and gave us the confidence we needed to move on to other schools with better teams,” Dababneh said. “Some of us were worried about the players that we lost, but our game helped us realize that as long as we maintain good team chemistry and hard work, then we have a good chance against any team.”
