By LIAM O’BRIEN
Waltham Times Contributing Writer
Returning 10 varsity players from last year, the Waltham High School girls basketball team will be reliant on continuity and chemistry heading into a fresh season.
The Hawks will look to ride this cohesion to a state tournament run in what is shaping up to be a competitive Dual County League this winter.
“We are coming from a position of strength in terms of our players knowing the system,” head coach Marc Lovett said. “It’s good to have that foundation. We are just planning on making minor adjustments to our style. We have our base offense, but we’ll be building in new quick hitters as well.”
Leading the charge will be captain and four-year varsity contributor Jane Jensen.
“She has really stepped into her leadership role throughout the offseason,” Lovett said. “I’m excited to see how everything comes together for her.”
Jensen earned DCL All-Star accolades last year along with junior Avery Leeman.
“Having both of them return and continue their strong play, I’m excited to see how they continue to grow into their roles,” Lovett said.
Waltham plans to mix up its defensive schemes over the course of the year, looking to befuddle opponents with a combination of man-to-man and zone principles. Spearheading the defense will be juniors Quinn Gavin and Sarah Valere.
“Quinn is a leader for us on the court and a tenacious defender,” Lovett said. “We feed off of her energy. Sarah can guard the other team’s best player and lead us on both ends.”
The Hawks kicked off the preseason with scrimmages against Arlington High School and Watertown High School. Funny enough, the Arlington girls basketball team will be playing its home games in the old Waltham High School gymnasium this season. So, the exhibition tilt gave the WHS squad one more chance to play in the previous digs. The meeting with Watertown was valuable as well as it provided the Hawks a sneak peek at the opponent they will host later in the season on Jan. 26.
“There were definitely some positives to take away from those scrimmages,” Lovett said. “We learned a lot and made some adjustments. The first two weeks of the season are always busy, but the girls have been great. They bring the energy and the enthusiasm every day.”
The highlights of the team’s schedule include the home opener against Holliston High School on Dec. 23 and a Jan. 31 home game against a tough Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School team.
“Our girls play in a summer and fall league and they see these teams a lot,” Lovett said. “They have worked really hard in the offseason, and I’m excited to see that work come together in these games. They get along really well.”
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