Future looks bright for girls basketball

Twenty-nine girls turned out for Lady Outlaws basketball. The program will put three teams on the court. Four seniors - Savannah Spear, Jacobie Petterson, Claire Henson and Katelyn Meeter, who is new to the team this year - will provide experience and leadership.

Coach Julianne Horner said, "I am very happy with the great leaders and players we have in our senior class. I believe their strength, varsity experience and confidence will help the team right from the opening tip-off of our first game. They have already shown great leadership on and off the practice court, which sets a positive tone for the season."

Nine junior players - Boston Moore, Cierra Mann, Chawnie Craig, Gwen Knoop, Langley Vogt, Haylie Hudson and newbies Cassandra Arruda, Ashley Smith, and Kassidy Rajewski - will also be big contributors.

"This class packs a lot of power inside as well as some very skilled outside shooters," said Horner. "I will look to these players to be valuable contributors whether starter or reserve. There's just so much depth and talent, it's really a luxury for a coach!"

Sophomores Dallas Knoop, Nina Horner, Bethany Bachmeier and Olivia Stewart were all active in the off season, and Horner looks for them to contribute and grow in talent. Newcomers Hannah Ceciliani and Taylor Schnider are multi-sport athletes, and Horner told The Nugget that their athleticism and competitive attitudes will be an asset to the style the Outlaws want to play.

Horner has nine freshman players out this season, the largest freshman class she has seen in the past four years. Players include Shelby Gillium, Tymbre Townsend, Julianne Meeter, Remington Slicker, Hogan Warner, Kate Arafand, Johannah Geison, Emily Skald and Amanda Smith.

"These girls are the future of the program, and numbers like these assure that future will be bright," said Horner. "Any time you have so much participation at an early point in their high school careers, you can't help but be excited, not only for this season, but those coming in the next few years."

Horner added, "We have an extremely strong early-season and tournament schedule planned, which will definitely serve to prepare these ladies for league play, and hopefully, a long playoff run."

Several teams have already committed to play in the Sisters home holiday tournament, including LaGrande (last years' state runner-up), Henley, Banks, Philomath and LaSalle. All of these teams have a history of playoff basketball, and this year's tournament will be one of the top women's basketball tourneys in the state.

The Outlaws graduated some stellar seniors last year, but are poised and reloaded to repeat or exceed last year's success.

"Our goal every year is to play our final game in Corvallis, which hosts the 4A state playoffs, and that certainly hasn't changed this year," said Horner. "This is such an outstanding group of young women both athletically and academically, and we're setting the target high for the season."