By Jules Cantor, ’11, Sports Editor
At the outset of the 2009-10 season, Girls Basketball Coach John Snell set the bar high for his team, setting a goal to win the Miami Valley Conference (MVC) championship for the first time in a decade. On the heels of a 17-2 record, the girls team did just that, securing their first scarlet division title in the last ten years.
In front of a large crowd in the North Gym, the girls defeated longtime rival Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (CHCA) to clinch the conference title. The crowd played a big role in the girls’ 43- 40 victory over the Eagles, endlessly encouraging Indians such as sophomore Ricci Snell ’12, who led the charge with 16 points.
The win was certainly fitting as the Indians not only captured the league championship, but also tasted revenge at the expense of a CHCA team that had previously defeated the Indians 53-33 at CHCA.
After the game, Coach Snell said, “This means a lot for the girls, me, and the program. It is very difficult to be competitive in this conference, let alone to win it.”
However, this season, the Indians seemed to have very little trouble dominating the conference, finishing with a 12-1 record against conference opponents. Coach Snell credits this to hustle, outstanding defense, and team oriented play.
“There were a lot of games I can remember where we had a different leading scorer,” he explained. “I think that shows that anyone could step up at any time and be a leader of this team.”
With the absence of a single go-to player, if Mariah Reed ’10 or Nichole Lowe ’10 were struggling to score, players such as Snell, Erika Armstead ’12, and Jamie Huelskamp, ’11 could be looked towards to carry the load. This team-emphasized style of play will certainly be the Indians’ focus heading into the playoffs, for which they received a number one seed.
This was the best season in recent school history, and the future continues to look bright for CCDS girls basketball. The girls JV team finished the season with only one loss, and the varsity only graduates three players, Reed, Lowe, and Xanni Brown ’10. With that being said, the loss of Reed and Lowe, arguably two of the best players in school history, will certainly be hard to overcome.
Next season, Rachel Neal ’12 looks to be the immediate replacement at point guard for Lowe, and players such as Cassie Sachs ’13 and Caitlin Hilberg ’12 will try to restore Reed’s post presence at forward. With these contributors as well as returning starters Armstead, Snell, Huelskamp, and key performer Candice Keese, the 2010-2011 team should be very competitive.
Photo by Ilana Habib, ’11.
