In her first year as head coach last year, Sheri Mercer didn’t have the team she expected. She had a total of nine girls go out, only enough for a varsity. With the incoming freshmen class, those numbers were brought up to 14, and they are able to have a JV this year as well. Many girls haven’t gone out due to her coaching style. 

“The numbers have gone up from last year and I think they will continue to rise in the upcoming years,” junior Katelyn Koester said. “I think the numbers are low because upper classes do not have as many going out. I think a few reasons are that not as many enjoy the sport anymore, they are lazy, or they realize college is near and they need to get money instead of going out for sports.”

Many of the practices run very long, approximately four hours.

“Many don’t want to work hard, and it is a sport you have to work hard in. Sheri is our coach for a reason; she is there to push us,” senior Ally Lange said.

Many on the boys team said they are very excited for their season to start because of their successes in the summer. The boys team has 21 going out.

“I believe it is going to be the best season we have ever had because we bonded really well as a team over the summer,” sophomore Taylor Wykes said. “We won first in one of our biggest tournaments this summer and went 22-9 in summer league games.”

Some of the other boys that did not participate in summer league due to work enhanced their skills in other ways, like junior Kaleb Stuhlsatz.

“Many of the boys met up to play basketball at St. Joe most days, anytime we got free time really,” he said.

Both boys and girls teams had their first game Dec. 3 at rival Cheney. The boys’ score was 41-68 and the girls’ score was 18-71. Although both teams lost, their coaches said this is one of their toughest games in the season.