In the past two years, two Trinity Prep graduates have gone on to play collegiate girls basketball: Felicia Coleman (’13) and Natalie Ball (’12).
Ball is now playing at Brown University and Coleman is with the Mavericks at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
After winning districts in 2012 and making a run at the title again last year, the girls basketball team is left with only three returning players from their 2013 season, and no returning starters. The team will certainly be going against the odds this year with nine new varsity players.
The team has also moved up to the 4A division and now has a new district, which includes more challenging and larger schools.
“The district is very difficult. We moved up to 4A. We now have to play Jones, Lake Highland and Atlantic,” Head Coach Sam Stewart said.
The teams in the new district posted very impressive records last year. Lake Highland’s Varsity Girls team last year finished with a record of 24-5. Atlantic finished with a record of 21-6. Jones finished with a record of 19-7, and won the State Championship in 2004.
The teams in the new girls district are also known for being particularly fast-paced offenses. So the team will have their hands full.
As well as with a brand new team, it will take some time to get adjusted at first for the team.
“We are very young. We had a number of seniors graduate. The entire starting lineup is new. And the pace of varsity basketball is very different than JV.” Stewart said.
The team is also particularly young. There is only one senior on the team this year, along with an eighth grader, five sophomores and five juniors.
With all the young talent on the varsity team, the program certainly has something to look forward to in the future.
This year should serve as great experience for the young players, as well as hopefully a district championship run for the girls.
On December 6, the team will host their annual “Hoops for Hope” tournament to raise money for cancer research. The tournament has been a big success in the past.
This year, the boys varsity and JV teams will also play in the tournament to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen fund.
This will be the first time that the boys team will be participating in the tournament alongside the girls.
