Lucas hopes mixture of youth, leadership can build sustainable girls basketball future
LUCAS — Lucas is trying to figure out how to get away from playing the annual numbers game in its girls basketball program.
The hope is the 2022-23 season will be the start of something sustainable.
After losing four players to graduation off last season's 11-12 team that tied for second in the Mid-Buckeye Conference, the Cubs bring back just two letter winners and one starter. So the inexperience will be prevalent, but the Cubs do bring in some young, energetic players to surround one of the top players in Richland County as they look to gel early and put together a successful campaign.
"Energy, enthusiasm and effort are X-factors for the 2022-23 season," Lucas coach Kathy Grover said. "With only two returning letter winners, practices have been full of energy, excitement and enthusiasm for learning new plays and drills. A focus that we have is to practice with purpose. Everything we do has a purpose and our main focus is to learn how to play fundamental basketball together."
The Cubs have nine players in the program and seven of them are freshmen. The young Cubs will be led by senior All-Ohioan Shelby Grover, who averaged 20 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists as a junior, earning special mention All-Ohio, second team All-Northwest District, first team All-District 6 and first team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference honors.
From there, it is a lot of green. Sophomore Olivia Brown will be one of the older players on the team as the starting small forward. Freshman Maggie Restilli will start at point guard with classmates Morgan Trumpower at shooting guard and Katie Griffey at center.
Freshmen Keara Ammons, Myha Midkiff, Allyson Arnold and Leah Burley will be the first options off the bench and will get plenty of playing time this season.
"Our youth and learning how to play with one another makes this team different from last year's," Kathy Grover said. "The freshmen class will look to fill supporting roles to blend in with Shelby Grover and Olivia Brown."
Having such a young team isn't the most ideal way to go into a new season, but coach Grover is excited about getting to work with a group that has no bad habits and is eager to learn.
"This group of freshmen has unlimited potential," Grover said. "We have Maggie Restelli, Morgan Trumpower and Keara Ammons returning to the program. New to our district are Katie Griffey and Myha Midkiff. Both girls bring a lot of natural athletic ability to our program. Trying basketball for the first time ever we have Leah Burley and Allyson Arnold, who have shown a lot of eagerness in learning the game of basketball."
With the young team, Grover isn't expecting a miracle and having it end the season with a league championship, but she does expect her players to go out and compete to the best of their ability and play until the final buzzer sounds, no matter what.
"Loudonville and Mansfield Christian are the top contenders in the MBC," Grover said. "Loudonville has All-Ohioan Corey Vermilia while MCS has a great nucleus of upperclassmen that have been together for years with head coach Megan Young. Rounding out the league is Lucas, Crestline, Central Christian, St. Peter's.
"We hope to compete and put our best efforts in all our league games."
The Cubs open the season on Nov. 18 at Clear Fork in a tough test right out of the gate.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Cubs girls basketball team seeking sustainable suture
