Benny Westcott
Led by returning starters Brooke Burke, Adaira Sleutel and Chloe Fairchild, Sweet Home’s girls basketball team hopes to improve on last season’s 4-8 record.
Senior Meeja Bitter is the only other returning varsity player.
“I think we are going to have a good season,” Head Coach Michelle Knight said. “I’m excited to see what these girls do. They have been working hard, and practices have been going really well. We’ve been concentrating on defense and fundamentals, all of the little things, and working our tails off.”
The team has been focused on such defensive aspects as “staying in the right position and knowing where you need to be looking,” she added. “With last year being a shortened season, we’re taking advantage of as much practice as we can get.”
Knight said this team was more familiar with varsity level competition than some past rosters. “We have more experience,” she said. “Burke has been a starter since her freshman year, and Sleutel has played a lot of varsity time. We’ll know what to expect more than some other Sweet Home teams have.”
The coach said her goal is to make the playoffs.
“To do that we have to win some league games,” she said. “My goal is to win eight league games.”
Standing in the Huskies’ path will be an 4A-3 Oregon West Conference filled with strong teams.
“It’s still going to be a tough league,” Knight said. “I don’t think there’s anyone weak in our league. Every game is going to be a challenge for us. But I’ve just been focused on what we are doing and taking care of business.”
In addition to the returning varsity players, Knight mentioned that freshman Kaylynn Mamac, a recent transfer to the district who made an impact on Sweet Home’s volleyball team this fall, “shows a lot of promise.”
Twenty girls are on Sweet Home’s roster, which includes eight varsity and 12 JV players.
Rounding out the roster for the varsity are Mercedes Burks, Angel Cordes and Madison Duncan.
Junior varsity players include Keely Boyd, Tapanga Campbell, Ruth Colgrove, Brooklyn Erickson, Jocelyn Fairchild, Adrienne Funk, Averie Haskell, Amelia Sullens, Destiny Tyree, Aytra Waggoner and Lillian Wolf.
The team opens against Elmira at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Sweet Home High School, followed by another home contest against Gladstone on Friday, Dec. 3.