Because the girls basketball team was made up mostly of underclassmen this season, the team worked on goals that would solidify team dynamics.

“This year is different from previous years because we have a much younger team than in years before,” Senior Danielle Lambert said. “With only four seniors, our line-up consisted of two to three sophomores. Even though there are age differences, we’re all so close and are one family.”

This closeness was a result of one of the team’s goals for the year.

“Our goals for this season [were] to build up our team chemistry and be able to learn how one another plays so that we [could] work together even better than before,” said sophomore Kadra Balla, a younger player on varsity who played on JV her freshman year.

“We [had] individual goals on what we need[ed] to work on to better ourselves, which contribute[d] to better the team,” Balla said. “Varsity really [wanted] to go further than last year and possibly win a regional championship.”

In support of the team’s goals, Coach Gregory Dorgan and Coach Sarah Davis encouraged all their players to meet their individual goals, too.

“Our coaches see the potential in a lot of our younger players and bring out everyone’s individual strengths, making the team a lot stronger. They really care a lot about the growth of our team,” said Senior Eve Slomka, who has played the majority of her basketball career with this same group of girls.

Balla also said the coaches push the players to perform at their best “because they have so much faith in our team.”

“Our coaches come to every game with smiles on their faces because they love what they do,” Balla said.

Additionally, the four seniors graduating in the spring worked to achieve what the team set for itself to make their last season at MHS memorable.

“All of us have played basketball together for the past eight years, and it’s crazy that it’s our last season playing altogether,” Slomka said. “This season for me [was] about doing everything I [could] to play for myself and especially my teammates. They make me realize just how lucky I am to be a part of this team.”

Even the non-seniors on the team recognized how lucky they were to be a part of this year’s team.

“I just remember how we worked for special types of moments together” said junior forward Kendall Klatt, who, at the time of the interview, had set her new personal high of 29 points in a single game.

“Playing game by game, we’ll just have to see what fun stuff will happen next,” Klatt said.

While the team worked toward a winning season, the members also said they worked hard to make it a meaningful one.

Mid-season, Lambert said, “The season isn’t over yet, but I can’t wait to win more games together and make even more memories. I’ll always remember my basketball team; that’s for sure.”