There is a firm belief surrounding the Bradford High girls
basketball team that “This is the year.”
Season after frustrating season of missteps mixed with bits of
progress have passed and the Lady Owls are now ready to turn the
corner.
In his fourth year as head coach, Doug Lloyd said, “I don’t care
what our record has been in the past, this is the year. We learned
how to get to the playoffs last year and that’s a big step. They
got a taste of it (the playoffs) and I think they’re ready to go
back. This is the team that can do it.”
In 2004-05 Bradford High lost eight games by 10 points or less
and four at the buzzer or by two points or less.
“We had a lot of unlucky breaks last year,” Lloyd admitted.
“We’re due. We’re in a position this year that those games will go
our way, but it will come down to the attitude that this team
has.
“This team, overall, is ready to step it up and get us going in
the right direction. I think we’re going to compete for the
District 9 (Class AAA) title and every tournament we are in we will
be competitive. I feel very positive about this team. There is no
game on our schedule that we couldn’t win.”
Keying the charge will be three-year letterwinners and team
captains Nikki Siffrinn and Whitney Cline. Siffrinn, a 5-7 junior,
returns at the point guard spot, while Cline, a 5-9 junior, is back
at a forward position.
“Siffrinn has been great in the first two-and-a-half weeks of
practice,” Lloyd declared. “She’s running the team. She controls
the tempo for us and defensively she does a great job. She’s
intense and leads by example.
“We’re relying on her to handle the ball – she is by far our
best ball-handler. This year she has stepped up into the captain’s
role where she’s not afraid to take a shot. She’s not afraid to do
whatever it’s going to take to get us to that next level. I think
she’s going to have a great year.
“Whitney scored about 15 points per game last year and we’re
expecting more this year,” Lloyd emphasized. “She can go inside and
outside, she’s got a great left hand on inside moves and
defensively she’s very good. We just need her to get a little more
physical, because she will probably be our main rebounder as
well.”
The Lady Owls also welcome back three other letterwinners in Liz
Keller (5-3 junior guard), Katie White (5-3 sophomore guard) and
Shelly Fuhrman (5-2 sophomore guard).
“We’ll rely on Liz Keller for a couple of things – defensive
intensity and offensive production,” Lloyd explained. “She
pressures the ball and she’s all over the floor. Her pressure on
the ball handler will make that player work that much harder and
our whole defense will react to that. Her shot has improved a lot,
and she’s confident that when she has a shot she can take it.
“Shelly has really worked hard over the summer and put a lot of
time in,” Lloyd commented. “She’s in great shape and gets up and
down the floor well. She has really worked hard to improve her
game. She’s probably got the nicest shot on the team, if you leave
her open she’s gonna make it.
“Katie White’s defense is tenacious. She’s all over the ball and
pressures full court,” Lloyd continued. “In her second year playing
varsity basketball she can cover anybody. The big thing for her
this year will be for her to shoot the ball when she’s open. If she
gets a little more aggressive offensively she’ll be a heck of a
player.”
Joining the returning letterwinners on the varsity roster are
Meghan Perschke (5-8 junior forward), Tiffany Cline (5-8 junior
forward), Kayla Murphey (5-5 junior guard/forward) and Tricia
Copeland (5-3 sophomore forward).
“Tricia Copeland is a heck of an athlete and she plays big,”
Lloyd noted. “She’s intense on defense inside and she’s quick
enough to go outside and that’s what we’re working on her with –
expanding her game beyond 10 or 12 feet.
“Kayla Murphey is a nice kid with a great shot and she’s not
afraid to take it. We need that – someone that will go in there and
hit an 18-20 footer with consistency.
“Britani VanScoter is a hard worker and makes other people work
in practice. She has the physical tools to be a heck of a small
forward. She is athletic and put in a lot of time in the
offseason.
“Meghan Perschke played AAU ball and has really worked hard at
improving her game. This year we expect her to come in and be a
presence inside against the other team’s post player. She has to be
physical and box out on offense and defense. She’s a junior with a
lot of experience and now it’s time for her to step up and show us
what she can do.
“Tiffany Cline took a year off last year and coming back out
this year it will take her a while to get back into the routine of
basketball, but her effort has been great.”
The junior varsity roster will center on Kevryn Boser (5-7
sophomore), Chelsea Rinfrette (5-6 sophomore), Sandra Miskiel (5-10
sophomore), Carissa Higley (5-7 freshman), Amanda Hess (5-3 junior)
and Tiffany Cline.
Hard work in the offseason should have all 15 players (JV and
varsity) ready to go.
“This summer was the biggest turnout we’ve had in the
offseason,” Lloyd observed. “We played in a summer league in
Jamestown (N.Y.) and we had 12 kids going up there to play. They
put the time in in the summer and now they just have to
believe.”
Looking at how the District 9 League shapes up for the upcoming
campaign, Punxsutawney will be back as the team to beat.
“Every year it’s Punxsy,” Lloyd said. “Until somebody beats them
they’re going to be the team to beat, but we can’t look past any
other team in the league. There are no walk-overs.”
Bradford’s coaching staff – Lloyd, Natalie Marasco and Ashley
Carpenter – feels that the Lady Owls must take advantage of their
speed and play fundamentally sound to achieve success.
“We aren’t big so we’ll just have to hustle,” Lloyd theorized.
“It’s going to be doing all the little things like boxing out,
outletting the pass and taking care of the ball. We’re going to
believe we can do it.”
BHS will kick off the season Friday against Clarion-Limestone (3
p.m.) in the opening round of the Brookville Tournament.
