Excitement is high for the Meadow Bridge girls basketball team and for good reason.
After a season away from home every game night last year, the Wildcats will now play in a new gymnasium guided by a veteran group of athletes.
“There is still some things to be finished up, but we are just thankful to be in the new gym,” veteran head coach Steve Taylor said. “Rainelle Christian was really good to us last year, letting us play over there. We had a good run in there, but the gym is done now. It is a beautiful floor and it is going to get loud in there. It is really nice and we are really happy with it.”
While playing with no true home gym, Meadow Bridge still managed to have a strong season.
“We would practice in the old gym and then get on a bus to go play our (home) games,” Taylor said. “For these kids to win 16 games and hang around the top 12 or 14 was a nice season for all they had to go through.”
The best news for the Wildcats has to do with the returning roster. All of the players that weathered the storms last year are back and ready to roar.
“We do have some experience coming back. Charity (Reichard), Sierra (Simmons) and several of the girls were thrown into the fire as freshman. They took their lumps, so now we are hoping some things will go our way this year,” Taylor said. “We have been waiting for some seniors and now we have four for the first time in three years or so.”
Reichard will man the point guard position again after averaging just under 10 points per game along with four assists and four rebounds. Simmons was also a solid rebounder last year and led the team in steals.
Junior Kierston Rozell led Meadow Bridge in scoring at 14 points per game and Taylor is looking for her to continue that trend this season.
“Kierston will play the four, but she will also play guard and be up top trapping on defense. She is really an athletic player,” Taylor said. “She also had a good summer. We like to see her get in the paint with her soft shot. She has also matured just in simple things like making the extra pass. When we can get the ball in the paint, it opens things up in other places.”
Riley Roberts chipped in six points and four rebounds on average last year and should add to that as a junior this season.
Amongst the experienced players that the Wildcats have this season lurks a sophomore, Lily Hayes, who made a solid impact last year in a reserve role, averaging five points per game.
“Lily Hayes could have started last year, but she felt more comfortable coming off the bench,” Taylor said. “She scored over 100 points as a freshman. She is not afraid of taking the big shot or playing in the big moments late in games.”
Taylor also likes what he sees in regards to the chemistry of his team.
“They all get along well and are pretty close on and off the court,” Taylor said. “With a small school, they have all been running around the halls here since they were about four. It is a close-knit group.”
Experience has also lent itself to some expectations for the talented Wildcats this season.
“I think we can make some noise this year. We set goals each year and we tell our kids a glimmer of hope can turn into a big window,” Taylor said. “We want to win as many games as we can and hopefully host a first round (sectional) game. That is a goal we have preached to them. If you can get that first win out of the way, your chances do get better.”
Meadow Bridge opens the season Dec. 1 at Liberty before playing its first game in the new gym, Dec. 4 when it hosts Bath County, Va.
