Being a new coach and taking over a team is never easy, but it is especially difficult when that team is coming off of a championship run. However, new head coach Ben Thorn will look to do that this season as he takes over the Patriot’s girls basketball team following a season where they won their first state championship since 1996.
“Coach Meyers did a great job of turning this program into a winning program,” Thorn said. “It’s my job to do the best I can to continue that with the group of girls we have this season. We won’t be focused on the past, but rather looking forward to what we need to do to continue to be successful.”
Adding to the difficulty of taking over the team, the Patriots graduated seven seniors from last season including all five starters.
“We’re not like a lot of teams this season,” Thorn said. “We bring back zero starters and we have no seniors, but our girls are ready to step into their new roles and show what they can do at the varsity level. Our returners also had the opportunity to go up against the senior class from last year each day during practice, which really helped prepare them for this season.”
With a mostly new team, preparation during the offseason was very important.
“We had a really good offseason,” Thorn said. “We spent a lot of time in both the gym and the weight room. With being such a young team, it was important that we kept improving our skill level on the court, but also getting strong in the weight room.”
The hard work does not end once the offseason comes to an end. The hard work during the season is what will lead to improvement and the team playing at their best.
“I want the girls to focus on getting better each day,” Thorn said. “We are both learning about each other and what works and doesn’t work. We want to be at our best at the end of the season during district time.”
However, despite it being a young team, there is still an enormous amount of pressure on the team following a state championship run. However, the Patriots believe that they will be able to overcome the pressure and just focus on playing their best.
“There’s no more pressure this season than there would be any other season,” Thorn said. “It’s every team’s goal to get to the state tournament and compete for a state title and there is no exception for us this season.”
The Patriots will look to continue to build a dynasty throughout the season as they prepare for the state tournament which will take place March 5-8 in 2024.
