Girls Basketball on a Streak after Lackluster Start

Senior point guard Elizabeth Furgione drives in the paint for a layup during victory vs. Blake on January 17

by Kobi Gyan ‘24

Through last week, the girls basketball team had a record of 8-4 and 6-1 in the division. What stands out about many of the Warriors’ games are the lopsided victories over other teams. These one-sided results include a 69-36 win against Blake on January 4, a 71-31 blowout the next night over Wheaton, and a 54-21 win against Northwood on January 11. Three out of four of Sherwood’s losses came at the beginning of the season, including a 71-27 loss against Churchill on December 12.

Although lopsided scores occur across all county sports, it happens frequently in girls basketball. For instance, Sherwood’s boys basketball did beat Wheaton by 41 points on January 9, but the three games the team lost were by a mere combined 13 points. These large differences in scores between boys sports and girls sports likely is a result of less depth among many girls’ teams in Montgomery County.

“It comes down to participation,” explained Athletic Director Jason Woodward. “Kids aren’t going outside and playing sports anymore. Also, there’s a burnout rate factor; all these kids play travel sports and once they get to high school, they’re like ‘I’m done, I’m tired’. Girls sports especially.” Woodward notes that participation in girls sports was a big topic at a conference of athletic directors that he attended.

In addition to a lack of participation, competition with private schools puts Sherwood at a disadvantage. Many of the most talented players in the area, particularly in the sport of basketball, attend private schools such as Good Counsel, St. Johns, Gonzaga, and other teams in the Metropolitan area. These private schools are allowed to scout young talent, something Public Schools cannot do. According to Woodward, private schools appear much more attractive to a student-athlete as they have no limitations on how many games they can play and where they play. This makes it difficult for a public high school coach to sit down and talk to prospects about their school when they can only offer so much due to the limitations placed on their school.

Girls basketball head coach Tim Hobbs said that nothing can be done to compete against private schools for players because “public schools are not permitted to recruit student-athletes.” Still, Hobbs has developed a level of consistency over the eight years he has coached the team, with an overall record of 94-70 coming into this season. “I attribute our success to the fact we have been able to maintain the same coaching staff every year since my third year,” said Hobbs. “This creates a sense of familiarity for the girls as they progress from JV to varsity. Furthermore, both teams play the same style and incorporate similar strategies which aids in the transition from one team to the next.”

Despite the decline in participation and the loss of a number of starters from last year to graduation, seniors Julia Peffer and Elizabeth Furgione have helped with the transition of their younger teammates, which includes six sophomores, to the varsity level. After a rocky 0-3 start, the team seems to have turned the corner, winning six straight before losing 30-27 against Blair on January 13 in a game in which they were outscored 16 to 4 in the first quarter. In spite of the loss, the Warriors remain in first place in the division.

In a rematch versus Blake on January 17, the Warriors again delivered another blowout win by a score of 65-28. This game had an overall balanced scoring effort with seniors Furgione and Peffer leading the way. That victory was followed by a 43-26 win three days later at Magruder. Because of the disparities among MCPS girls basketball teams, the lopsided scores raise a tricky question of just how good the Warriors are. A question in which the answer will be more clear after the team begins this week playing more teams outside of their division.