With hopes of repeating their past success this season, the Souderton girls basketball team is directing their attention in practice to limiting mistakes.
Two seasons ago in their 2017-2018 season, the girls varsity basketball team capped off a Cinderella season with a loss to Upper Dublin after making it all the way to the state semifinals.
This year the girls team has a 9-5 record so far including a statement on January 7 in their annual rivalry game against Pennridge, giving them their first conference win of the season after losing their first four of those games.
“We’ve been focusing on the fundamentals and not making mistakes that could lead to turnovers,” head coach Lynn Carroll said. “One of the biggest factors in winning these big playoff games is limiting the small mistakes we make on the court.”
Carroll also emphasized team chemistry as, “one of the keys” to winning tight games where both teams are evenly matched.
Players at every position on the team are working hard to carry out their respective responsibilities during games.
“As the point guard, and the facilitator on offense, one of my biggest responsibilities is to limit any mistakes that could lead to a turnover for our team,” junior Jordan Zimmerman said.
Many of the senior members of the team remember vividly their semifinals run back in 2017-2018.
According to senior Mikaela Resse, this year’s team has a chance to make it back to states. “It’s just a matter of working hard on and off the court and making the most of every game and opportunity that we get,” Resse said.
Although that run may have been impressive members of the team don’t feel their previous successes cast a shadow over the current team.
“I don’t feel like we have to achieve a certain level of success just because we did it in the past,” Reese said.
While trying to create their own successes during games and in the standings, the girls basketball team has been developing the kind of team chemistry that can lead to, “a lot of wins” Carroll said.
“We’ve been working hard in team practices to improve our chemistry and our passing,” senior Kathryn Diehl said. “We need to bond with each other if we want to play well as a team.”
The players on this team know that if they keep grinding in practice and on their own they can be, “a dangerous team,” according to junior Hannah Alderfer.
“Coach just wants us to communicate on the floor and to play within our own abilities,” Alderfer said. “That means not trying to be the hero and looking to pass the ball more often.”
This team isn’t afraid of failure because they know that people won’t hold their past successes against them.
According to Carroll, “I think it’s more important to focus on this team and what’s going on right now, because they’re the ones representing our school this year.”