The girls’ basketball team opened their season with a 52-49 loss to Shawnee Mission North last Thursday.  Last Monday the Lady Raiders lost to Blue Valley 54-48.

   The squad starts the year off with a relatively new group of girls.  Only two seniors are returning for the season.

   Jocelyn Cummings, sr. who has already signed to play at Emporia State next fall and Ariel Marusak, sr. both return as team leaders with their experience on the court.

   Ron Millard, head coach said he will focus on fine tuning his coaching techniques to fit the girls’ skill levels since the team is more inexperienced than in past years.

   "We refine what we do offensively or defensively so we can do the best with the girls’ skills," said Millard.

   Although they may face inexperience, the goal for Millard always remains the same.

   "My goal as a coach is always to get my team to the state tournament," said Millard.

   Millard also said he wants to help the girls achieve success however he can which is something that is important to him as a coach.

   "We have goals as a team," said Cummings.

   Every game the girls’ goals include making 70 percent of their free throws, shoot 40 percent from the field, and out rebound their opponent.

   "In the first game we did not reach those goals," said Cummings. 

   Cummings said the team needs to reach those goals and communicate more effectively on the court in order to succeed.

   "There is so much I want to prove, it is just a matter of accomplishing it and looking for the positive," said Cummings.

   Shawnee Mission West, Shawnee Mission East, Olathe South, and Lawrence are all strong teams in the Sunflower League, a league that Millard says will be competitive this season.

   "This year is going to be very competitive and we have to be on our very best play every game," said Millard.

   "We have the girls to do well," said Liz Beeler, sr.  "We need to play as a team," she said.

   Beeler said the team has the potential to do well, and they will get out of it what they put into it.

   Last Monday was South’s first home game of the season and also the fifth annual "Wear Pink Night."  

   The team traditionally holds this event to raise awareness for breast cancer.

   Millard, who lost his wife to breast cancer last year, is passionate about the educational component in beating the disease.

   A representative from the Susan G. Komen foundation will speak with the team members sometime this week.

   Millard said, "I want to try to do what I can."