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Girls basketball team focusing on present to improve on 2007
by Tommy Morgan, Jr. · Sports · November 19, 2008
Only one win away.
That’s how West Branch High’s varsity girls basketball team ended their season last year.
One win away from the state tournament, before the season was cut short by a Monticello team that made it to the Class 2A semifinals.
Thoughts of what could have been last season are not hanging over the team’s head, though, according to Head Coach Mike Johnston. This year, the Bears look to improve upon their 12-11 record from last season, but are trying not to look too far into the future and at the state tournament. Instead, the team remains focused on the present, and on doing the best they can.
“Every individual game is a goal for us,” Johnston said. “You play every game to reach a potential. You want to be good at the end of the year.”
Johnston cited this year’s state tournament as more of an “outside goal” than anything else. Instead, West Branch has focused on the fundamentals at practice so far this year. Johnston said that shooting has been the team’s main focus.
“We have decent outside shooting” for dealing with zone defenses, Johnston said.
He was also quick to note that defense has also been a priority.
“We’re going to play a lot of solid defense up and down the court,” Johnston said.
In addition to shooting and defense, Johnston said that one of the team’s greatest fundamental assets is its speed.
“I think we’re very quick,” Johnston said. “We’ve got good team speed.”
As the team works to improve at the start of the season, they will be doing so with several new players. The Bears lost eight seniors to graduation last year, and only one starter from last year’s team will be returning. That player is senior Jazmin Baylor, the team’s leading scorer during the 2007-08 season.
Baylor finished last season with a team-best 8.2 points per game and a 48.1 percent field goal percentage. On the defensive side of the ball, Baylor led the team with 41 steals.
“We’re kind of experienced,” Johnston said. “But we’re still young.”
Four other letter winners will also be returning as seniors.
The team will start its season with a half-game exhibition at the Mid-Prairie Jamboree in Wellman on Friday. Regular season play begins next Tuesday at home against Calamus Wheatland at 6 p.m.
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