The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/107347
Sports Page 6 Febuary 1, 2013 Freshman girls basketball keeps focus Hunter Latham Staff Writer The frosh girl's basketball team has recently started league play last Thursday, January 17. Their Tuesday game was at 4:30 p.m. This game was against Foothill, but they had a 36-38 loss, even though they previously beat them. It is pretty depressing when they come so close to winning but lose. But on the other side, there is always room for improvement. The team practices two hours and the time at which they do so can vary. They have the ability to be a great basketball team, they just need to focus on their goals and dreams and keep trying to improve and be the best basketball team they can be. Team work also goes along well with success. Egan Meagher/BLUFFER Freshman Stefanie Brunello runs a drill working on her three point shots as her teammates look on during one of the teams practices. According to Wing Emily Ryan, the team gets along good and her own favorite part of the season has been bonding with her teammates. Getting to know your teammates and becoming friends with them can really help players feel said, "Team-wise we cannot be competitive with larger schools." Yesterday Alpine left for Oregon to compete against the different schools. They will be up there from Thursday through Sunday. So far, the team has been working on and off the mountain to train and get ready for their meets. When they are not putting in effort in the snow, they are working on conditioning and other activities to get ready for their meets. They have 'dry lands' where they work on technique and conditioning. They have been doing dry lands since November. Sometimes they set up cones to set up a mock race. Since there is obviously no snow in Red Bluff, they can't actually practice like .other sports would. Bill Treat said, "This group of athletes are both fun to be with and talented. I am particularly impressed with how hard they work." There are eight competitors for the Alpine team. All of the teams are divided into two divisions. The schools in their division are Enterprise, Foothill, Shasta, and University Prep. The other division includes Yureka, Weed, and Mt. Shasta. According to Isaac Moldenhauer, snowboader and freshman, even though some of the other teams have a lot of members, having a smaller team is an advantage and strength because you get more coaching in a smaller group. The team has four coaches total, including Bill Treat, Mary Treat, Leland George, and Jeanne George. According to Moldenhauer, it has been really nice this season since there weren't any delays for snow. Bill Treat said, "In my opinion of how the sason is going is that the racers have trained very hard both on snow and at dry land workouts. They have become strong racers and dedicated athletes." The regular season for per game in no average. "Our group is used to winning," said Gallagher. As long as they stick to their guns and work as a team it should be a good game for both teams. This year's varsity girls team is doing well. However they give some credit to the momentum of last year's team. "Last year turned the program around and we are continuing that," said Gallagher. This year's team is also above the National average for scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The National averages being about forty one for scoring, about twenty seven for rebounds, Eight for assists, ten for steals, and three blocks. The Lady Spartans have averages of, fifty three for scoring, thirty six for rebounds, nine for assists, thirteen steals, and five steals per game. Congratulations Lady Spartans on being above average. To warm up for a game players often listen to music ot just watch other games. "I listen to music and I like watching the J.V. team play because it kinda gets me in the basketball mode," said Gallagher "I visualize us winning and doing well as a team," said Mckerras. good about themselves and not feel awkward when they are playing and practicing. In order for players to help each other become better players, all you really need to do is be nice to each other and let them know that they can improve with practice and commitment. The freshman girl's team should be a successful so long as they keep boosting there confidence, and not knocking it down, which is a major role in any great basket ball team or any team in general. Michell Woolbert has strong belief that her team is great and will only get better as dose her teammate Madison Smith. That just goes to say that the freshman girls have a positive chance of coming in and giving there next opponents a good run for their money. Alpine team faces opposition from other schools but also a lack of closer snow Cieghlee Fennel Staff Writer The Alpine team is getting ready to shred up the mountain in their upcoming matches on Mt. Bachelor, Oregon. Sosanna O'Sullivan, skier and sophmore, said, "I am really exciting because the snow will be better than on Mt. Shasta." Snowboarding and skiing are two separate sports just like sotball and baseball and they do not combine the scores. A full varsity team is eight racers of each, boys and girls. There are four boys and two girls for skiing. Although Bill Treat, the head coach, Alpine is over by Winter Break, but Bill Treat estimates that 10 or 12 racers will qualify for the Championships. The Championships will be held March 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th. They will be held at Mount Shasta. Varsity girls basketball works on staying on track for top league standings Zachary Smith Staff Writer Coach Kathy Brandt is doing her job in keeping the Varsity girls basketball team on track for a top spot in their rankings. With fifteen wins and five losses the Varsity girls team sits comfortably in fifth for the Northern Section Rankings, and third in Northern Section Division three Rankings. "We just all work well together." said Patten Mckerras, Freshmen. However, the girls team simply just happen. They have had to work hard for what they've achieved. Mostly through practice the team improves. "We practice really hard so that games will be easier" said Emily Gallagher, junior. " We get better every practice." The team continues to get better and stack their wins. They have even beaten almost all of the teams they have originally lost to, sometimes as much as ten points. The team hopes to win league and beat their unspoken rivals of this season, Enterprise. They have lost to Enterprise twice. However, the Lady Spartans still have another chance to defeat this first ranked team in their league. Meanwhile, the Lady Spartans next game is against the West Valley Eagles. The eagles have nine wins and eleven losses. On average West Valley about 46 points per game. The lady Spartans have been scoring about 53 points Courtesy/Bill Treat Madeline Walton races down the slope in a snowboard race that the Alpine team participated in at Mt. Shasta.