By Nicole Reich ’17

Girls’ varsity basketball is heading into their 2015-2016 season with their first game on December 4 against Good Counsel. The Warriors had a record last year of 16-8, and were regional semifinalists. The team’s main goal this season is to surpass the wins from last season.

“The biggest factor of whether or not we achieve this goal will be how well we defend and rebound the ball,” said Coach Tim Hobbs.

Sherwood’s toughest competition will be on January 8 when they face Paint Branch, who have been a perennially top team in Maryland in recent years. They face their biggest rivals Magruder and Blake, in late January and early February.

A challenge for the Warriors this season will be its comparative lack of height. “Overall, we are a pretty short team with few post players, so our focus has to be on speed and good court sense this season,” explained junior shooting guard Sammy Sundell. “We lost three important starters from last year so we are all going to need to contribute more points. I think we have the potential to be successful this season as long as we play like a team and do what we are capable of doing.” Sundell added that of the height differences is a bit intimidating but their intelligent play will be one of their advantages.

The key players returning this season include junior point guard Amanda Allen and senior forward Delaney McMenamin, who both averaged more than 10 points per game as the top leading scorers last season. The team will need Allen and McMenamin even more this year to control the tempo of the game while also pouring in buckets.

“We will use our speed and quickness in order to succeed. We want to play fast, but under control,” said Allen, planning to, “get others involved by pushing the ball up the court.” McMenamin will help by distributing the ball and scoring.

Senior center Bryse Thornwell, Sundell, and senior forward Allie Thron are important members to the team and will play bigger roles this year. Senior guard Taylor Andrews will miss this upcoming season with a torn ACL.

The Warriors are looking forward to a fun season, but they will work hard during practice in order to improve their skills. “The mindset of the team is to just play the best we can and leave it all on the court,” McMenamin explained.

Overall, they will be a successful and solid team this season if they are willing to put in the work to move beyond lats season’s successes.

Pre-season workouts and regular season practices will be important so that the team has the fitness and stamina to play their style of basketball. “The team’s athleticism and ability to run the floor should enable us to play an up-tempo style,” said Hobbs.