The youth movement for the Centerburg girls basketball team is under way.
After finishing last season 6-16, coach Bo Glenn’s squad is returning just one senior and one junior, meaning the Trojans' underclasswomen are going to have to step up in a big way this season.
Glenn returns for his fourth season at the helm of the Trojans after 15 years working as an assistant coach with the boys team. As a head coach, he constantly preaches the fundamentals of the game, particularly on the defensive end. He mentioned that one of the keys to this season will be “figuring out how we can bring (the team) together and make everybody feel comfortable, yet make them feel uncomfortable so they can grow.”
The centerpiece of this Trojans team is senior point guard Chloe Goulter. A four-year starter, Goulter devastates opposing defenses with her quickness and skill. The challenge for her this year will be stepping up as a leader on such a young and inexperienced team. Another player who will be central to the Trojans' success is Clara Johnson, a sophomore forward who was a starter during her freshman campaign and, according to Glenn, "has a nonstop motor."
While Goulter and Johnson will be expected to take on much of Centerburg’s scoring and rebounding load, the team’s underclassmen will have to help pick up the slack for the team to win games.
“The freshmen, by the time the middle of the year comes, they're going to have to be sophomores already,” Glenn said. “We just need them to grow up really quick.”
Glenn’s basketball philosophy is less dependent on set plays than it is on having the girls figure things out on the court.
“I want them to be fearless,” he said. “If they make a mistake, I don't want to get on them for it, because I just want them to go out there without thinking and just go play and have fun.”
The Trojans hope that the girls will figure it out quickly, but Glenn believes that should not be an issue.
“You can control your defense and rebounding every single day, along with your attitude and effort, so focus on those things,” he said.
Though this year’s iteration of the Trojans may lack experience, they hope that the effort and drive that they put into their craft will translate into some wins. While the lack of known quantities makes it challenging to truly pin where Centerburg stands amongst the pack, there is also opportunity in the uncertainty.
They have begun the season 1-5, with their lone win coming against Ridgedale, 39-28, but the coach and players believe they are growing in experience, fundamentals and team cohesiveness each game, and they look for a successful turnaround as the season progresses in KMAC play.
