Girls Basketball is getting underway with a lot of confidence going into the season as they finished their last season 13-8 and are looking to improve on that.
One of the Captains this year is Avery Gamble, a senior, who scored her 1,000th point last season. The other captain is Maeve Horseman, who is a senior.
Gamble averaged 20 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.5 steals a game last season. She is looking to keep up that hot streak and end off her senior year in a strong way. Maeve averaged 12.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists to end the season.
“My goal is for us to be successful in our playing style and to try and remain consistent throughout every game,” Gamble said. “I want to help lead and guide this special team to a potential Hockomock League title because I feel as though we have worked so hard.”
Coach Costello leads this team as head coach for the third year. Coach Costello says he has a lot of responsibility because they have new players and they all have to adjust to their new play style throughout the season.
“I’m really excited about this season. We have a group that I believe will compete at a very high level. We had a strong year last season, but every one of us felt like we had more to accomplish, and that has become a big motivator heading into this year,” he said. “Our returning core is experienced, competitive, and hungry, and the energy in the gym every day reflects that. There’s a focus and maturity about this group that makes it fun to coach.”
Coach Costello’s goal is just playing the best they can and to be the best team in the Davenport League
“Compete for the Hockomock Davenport title, earn a strong seed, and make a deep run in the Division 2 tournament. Win a lot of games and always play with heart and intensity and leave everything on the court,” he said, describing his goals for the season.
There have been a lot of girls who signed up whether they are new players or old players. They have seniors Gamble, Horseman, Mari Rhodes and Olivia Strom, junior Kiera Deehan, and sophomores Ella Okeefe and Jazz Deane. They have seven freshman and five eight graders who are showing off their skills to Coach Costello.
Gamble looks forward to a good season.
“Being a captain on this team is such an amazing privilege and I enjoy it so much. The coaches are very communicative with the captains and I love helping out with the program. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be someone the girls look up to and I hope I can always be the one they turn to for help or advice!” Gamble said.
Gamble has full belief and confidence in their team’s ability this year because they have a lot of confidence with how strong they ended last season. She has full faith in all of them to do their part for the team.
“The team’s mindset going into the season revolves mainly around confidence. If we continue to believe in ourselves and trust the process, then our success will be great and it will put us in a perfect position heading into the start of the season.”
Coach Costello and the two other Assistant Coaches want this to be a safe and fun environment for the girls. Overall he thinks they could be as good as last year despite losing some of their best players to graduation. Now they have a whole new group to start up the season.
“Last year’s team was strong, but this year’s roster has more depth and added athleticism. That combination will allow us to play with more pace and give us more flexibility with our rotations,” he said. “We have a great blend of experience and youth, and I have complete confidence in our younger players. As they grow and develop, I think we’ll continue to get better and better throughout the season.”
