JV Journal

JV Boys' Basketball

JV boys' basketball (1-2) opened an encouraging season with strong performances against Clarksburg on Dec. 4 and Kennedy on Dec. 8, but suffered a tough loss to Paint Branch on Dec. 11, according to head coach Richard Porac.

While only four players are returning from last year, Porac said that the team has significant depth and a good deal of talent from its freshman members, with particularly quick and athletic players in the guard position. "Our strengths are definitely going to be our guards," he said.

Despite its defensive power, the team suffered a 53-46 loss to Clarksburg, which Porac attributed to the team's struggle with making rebounds and avoiding turnovers.

After the Clarksburg game, Porac instituted a strategic half-court trap in which the players attempt to double team the opposing team's first pass, a change that he believed helped the team beat Kennedy 47-45. Guards freshman Dwayne Baker and sophomore Tucker Canary were leading defensive players and sophomore Harrison Reed made key shots at the end of the game and to solidify the win, Porac said.

The team next fell to Paint Branch 66 -26. Porac acknowledged that the team was working hard, but was disappointed with the game's outcome. "Nothing went right that game," he said. He attributed the loss to missing 20 layups and 15 free throws, and losing two starting players due to fouls early in the game Because of the team's two losses, Porac is considering changing the team's starting lineup.

Canary felt that the team's successes so far has been caused by the team's ability to work together effectively. "Our team bonds really well," he said.

JV Girls' Basketball

JV girls' basketball (2-1) began its season with a loss to Clarksburg on Dec. 4 and wins against Kennedy on Dec. 8 and Paint Branch on Dec. 11, a successful start for the relatively inexperienced team, said head coach Brooke Holmes.

The team has no returning players this year, and many of this year's players have never played organized basketball, Holmes said. Nonetheless, she believes that have more developed skills than last year's team. "To have people that have a little skill and just need fine tuning is a world of difference [from last year]," she said.

Holmes said that the team started out slowly in the Clarksburg game. While the final score was 42-37, Holmes said that the players improved drastically in the second half, bringing Clarksburg's lead down from 13 points to five. She identified freshmen Mireille Verdonk and Melissa Romero as high scorers.

The team's 47-20 win against Kennedy was an even bigger triumph, Holmes said. "Everyone stepped up and did what we needed them to do," she said.

Romero said agreed that the Kennedy game went well, especially because of the team's communication on the court. "We started off strong and we finished strong," she said.

Despite the team's decisive victory, Holmes believes that they could have won by as many as 30 more points had they been able to make more layups. She is working with the team on this skill in practice each day.

Holmes was also proud of the team's game against Paint Branch, a 37-34 win that she attributed to the team's strong defense.