VC aims for back-to-back

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that can mean only one thing other than leftover turkey sandwiches: High school basketball is starting to get back into the swing of things.

With a new season starting up, one of the more difficult things to do in sports is to build upon the success you had from last season.

For the Vermilion Catholic Lady Eagles, that task is going to be quite the daunting task.

Just the simple fact of trying to have a better win-loss record makes it a daunting task for the Lady Eagles.

Not only are they trying to out perform the 23-6 regular season record, but they are also trying to repeat as class 1-A state champions.

The Lady Eagles seem prepared and ready to try and outdo themselves from last season.

“We hope that we can do as well as we did last year,” Vermilion Catholic Girls Head Basketball Coach Kim Guidry said. “It is obviously our goal to win the state title again, but we have a long way to go before we get to that
point.”

Coach Guidry is right. It is a long time before they can begin thinking about trying to repeat.

She also knows that it may be a little more difficult this season than it was last season.

“This year people will expect us to bring our A game,” Guidry said. “Last year we may have been a sleeping dog and this year we will have the bull’s-eye on our back. That always makes it harder, when you know you are getting everybody’s best game.”

It shouldn’t be hard for the Lady Eagles to get off on the right track considering they are returning four of the five starters from last season.

“It’s always nice when you can bring back so many starters,” Guidry said. “We are losing a couple of key bench players and those sometimes are harder to replace.”

Among the returning starters are Katie Frith and Ashailee Brailey, two of the top scorers for the Lady Eagles. Both girls played big roles in the successful spring season last year, leading up to the state title.

Coach Guidry went on to say that the beginning of the schedule should be the hardest part, due to the fact they are trying to feel out where everyone is going to be and the exact role that everyone will play on the team.

“We try to make our schedule a little more difficult in the beginning,” Guidry said. “That way we can get a better sense of where we are as a team and be ready to play once district rolls around.”

One thing that Guidry isn’t concerned about is the championship lull that happens to some teams.

She went on to say that she has told her team on several occasions already that this season is a new season and that last years team was the state champions. This team hasn’t accomplished anything yet and that they will have to work for everything that they get.

“Our girls are smart,” Guidry said. “They know that they will have to work hard to reach the goals we have set for ourselves.”

One thing that is true for this team is that they are excited to get back on the court. They feel they have a lot to prove and really just want to show that last season wasn’t a fluke, according to Guidry.

“It’s nice to see the girls ready to play,” Guidry said. “They look excited and that make me excited for this basketball season.

The first step along the path of a repeat title for the Lady Eagles begins tonight as they take on St. Edmund.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight at the VC gym.

“It’s going to be good for us to get back on the court,” Guidry said. “Practice and jamborees are always one thing, but you never really know what you have in a team until they see their first real action.”

This will be the first game of the regular season for the Lady Eagles.

Along with the game tonight VC will be taking the court against the North Vermilion Lady Patriots on Thursday. That game will be at VC, and tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Andy Bullard
Sports Editor