The girls basketball team has wrapped up their season. Each team worked hard and every girl fought hard on the court leading all three teams to a winning record.
The A team finished 8-5. In his first year coaching, Bryce Duis led them with passion, guiding them to a strong season. He is proud of the growth and hard work the girls showed this season.
“I felt the A team made great progress all year,” Duis said. “The team’s success was a result of hard work and willingness to work together as a team. The team gave a full effort every game which will give them confidence in the future.”
McKinley Matthews, an eighth grader on the Navigator team, was a key member of the A team’s starting five. She brought energy on the court to every game and played a vital role in the team’s success this season. When she was nominated as Athlete of the Week, the coaches said she ‘works hard on the defensive end leading to easy buckets!’
“I feel proud that we were able to do so much and improve from last year,” Matthews said.
The B team finished 13-0, going undefeated in regular season play. After coaching the girl’s C team last season, Taylor Miles stepped up to lead the B team in her second year. She was really excited to continue coaching this season and is extremely proud of the B team.
“I think the girls did an amazing job this year,” Miles said. “They showed up to play each game and really grew as a team. They had a great season!”
Madison Boone is an eighth grader on the Navigators team, she played A team and was a starter for B team. All season Boone’s coaches felt she “worked hard on offense and defense to become an all around better basketball player.”
“We got to make new bonds and connections with people,” Boone said. “B team was very successful and A team was a lot more successful than last year and I was happy about that.”
Ava Dirck is an eighth grader on the Voyagers team who was recognized by the coaches as the B team’s most improved player. Her positive attitude and support for her teammates made a huge impact.
“I loved the coaches this season,” Dirck said. “They were super supportive and made the effort to help us improve, they made practice and games really fun too.”
The C team finished 8-1, they were coached by Stacy Stoddard, this year is also her first year coaching girls’ basketball. She felt it was inspiring to watch the girls.
“I’m extremely proud of the C Team’s success this season,” Stoddard said. “It was exciting to watch the girls. The girls showed constant growth, determination, hard work, and never backed down, no matter the challenge in every game.”
Nora Messer is a seventh grader on the Pathfinders team. She played a crucial role as the C team’s post. Against Grain Valley South, Nora played a pivotal role in the victory, contributing 12 points.
“I loved riding the bus together and getting to know each other better,” Messer said. “We worked really hard and we deserve our success for how hard we worked.”
