The girls basketball team has tasted a few nuggets of marginal success in the history of the program. There was a division title in 1998-99 with now Kendall Hall of Famer Renee Turpyn leading the way.
But this year’s squad, led by ten seniors, is making a statement through the first month of the season that they want to be remembered as the best.
“We’re really excited about it; it’s crazy,” senior captain Liz Snyder said following their sixth consecutive victory to open the season.
“We’re all just working as a team and I think it’s cool too, to see how much we’ve connected through the years and that’s shown through the games.”
“We are all working really good together,” senior guard Alezya Brown added. “We have a really good bond here and everyone talks, and practice is so much fun because we all enjoy the sport so much.”
The Eagles haven’t just won their first six games; for the most part they have blown their opponents out of the gym.
Their full court pressure has contributed to holding their opponent under 20 points three times and in the twenties in the other three wins.
Their one challenge so far came in a two-point victory at Attica in mid-December.
“It really showed us our capability as a team,” Brown said. “Not just one person was shooting, it was everyone working together and it showed that we’re more than just soccer players here.”
Snyder enters the last game before the holiday break tied for 16th in all of Section V in scoring with 88 points, leads the Section in rebounds with 80, is tied for eighth in steals with 16, and leads the team with 30 blocks.
She has gotten visits from several local colleges, including Finger Lakes Community College, Niagara Community College, Keuka College, and SUNY Fredonia, but has not committed.
Brown is second on the team with 38 points, tied with fellow-senior Kailie Regan with 39 rebounds, and second behind senior guard Julie Coble with 26 steals. Seniors Emma Allen and Grace Levett are tied for third on the squad with 32 points each and Allen is also third with 37 rebounds.
“Since the division title in the late ‘90s, I don’t even know if we have a winning record overall, so to be 6-0 and number one in Class C2 right now and playing well is an accomplishment, but we can’t be content and need to keep it going,” head coach Jeff Parizek said.
“The Attica win and beating Pembroke here was good; we hadn’t beaten either of those programs in a long time, so hoping the girls take from that the confidence that we can play with anyone in this league.”
“With the shortened season last year, we didn’t have the time in the offseason to develop as well as I would like, but I told them at the end of last year that, if they put the effort and work in that we could be something special and we’ve proven that to be a fact.”
Snyder said, “I’m excited to see what happens next.”
