The crowd was hyped and the excitement in the gym was palpable. But the court was filled with girls, not the usual boys seen at our typical basketball games. It wasn’t the cheerleaders, although they were on the sidelines. As the first whistle blew and the jersey’s flooded the court, it was the Lady Lions that took over. On Monday, December 9th, the first ever girls basketball team had their first game of the season against Temple Christian.
The youngest girl on the team # Jada Loggins said “It was a great experience to compete with my teammates and just have a great time playing a game I love. I love the energy that was given off by the audience and really just everybody on the court.”
Going into the first game, the girls were unsure of their abilities. Much of the team consisted of the high school dancers. Although athletes in their own right, basketball was a completely new skillset for the girls. Coach Dottore and Coach Torres, first time basketball coaches, spent the weeks leading up to the game helping the team learn to dribble and shoot. According to the coaches, many of the skills mirror dance moves. When the girls asked their coaches why they didn’t have cool named plays like the boys their coaches told them they were focusing on moving the ball down the court and making baskets first.
The day of the game the boys team could be heard cheering on the girls team. Even though the boys would be playing that same night, the focus was on the girls with their first game. The cheerleaders put signs on the lockers of the team members to hype them up.
The game was a home game played at our Westview gym in Sanford. They played against Temple Christian School, who won the championship for The Sunshine Christian League Girl’s Division the previous year. In the end, the girls lost 38 to 20 but put up a valiant effort for a first ever game.
“It was good for our first ever game, but by the second game we were way better than the first.” said Sadie Marquette, senior.
The next game was played also at home against Holy Cross, one of our big rivalries for the boy’s team. The day of the game was met with hype all over campus as the teams all were up to play Holy Cross that evening.
The gym was full and the teams were on fire. The JV boys played first in a dynamic game with tempers running high. The competition was fierce and heated, resulting in quite a few fouls on both teams.
When it was the girl’s turn to play, they showed up with just as much energy as the boys. They were confident in their chances after having one game under their belt.
One noticeable standout was the Raigan Caldwell, #23, as she kept the ball from her opponents. Every time she got the ball, she would hold it high over her head where no one could reach it. Reaching ….feet tall, she is taller than all of the other players.
Also, Jada Loggins made quite a few baskets as she zipped up and down the court. The game was in the One School Lions favor halfway through the 4th quarter with a 27 to 9 score, but it ended in a forfeit because the other team left the game early. The girls were disappointed but also felt good with their performance. It gave them the courage to keep pushing forward.
