The girl’s basketball team is ready to make their run this 2017-2018 season. For the seniors, they are ready to make their last run altogether. Head coach, Justin Wilmes says, “I expect a lot out of my four seniors, but I also expect a couple of my underclassmen to rise up and contribute as well. We have a lot of potential.”

“The seniors have a lot to prove because most of us have been playing together since 8th grade and we ready to go far this year and make the most of our last year together,” points out Allison Meyer (‘18).

The team went 11-13 last season playing under Rick Jungermann, who stepped down from his duties for personal reasons. The team is now coached by Justin Wilmes and Kristen Tomasek, who seem to have the same mindset as the girls about wanting to have a successful  year.

The girl’s have their first home game, December 8th, and will face Washington High School. For freshman guard, Jaliyah Green, it will be her first time playing on her home court in front of the school wearing a Varsity jersey.  “As a freshman, it is my first time playing with all of these girls and I just want to form strong bonds with my team and be able to contribute as much as possible,” says Green, which is exactly what Coach Wilmes expects from her and the rest of the underclassmen.

Each upperclassmen, on the other hand, has that one thing they have to look forward to this season. “I want to play for my mom because she was diagnosed with cancer and it will probably be the last time she sees me and my sister play,” says Nicole Griesenauer (‘18). Nicole has a twin sister, Emily, on the Varsity team as well. Pink Night every year is dedicated to breast cancer awareness. This year Holt will host it on December 15th in the gym.

Coach Wilmes implied, “We really are working on positive communication this season, from players to players, and coaches to players. We take a lot of the drills we do and try and make them a learning moment, not just in the game but in life as well. We try teaching the girls to take every moment and situation and think of a way to make it positive.”

The team seemed to be missing a key thing last season, and that could be the injury of senior, point guard Michon Forrest. But say no more, because the senior athlete stated that, “I stuck to my PT and I have been conditioning harder than ever to make sure I come back better than before. The mental aspect of it was a struggle, to try and stay positive through it all. But I am ready to come back and kill it this season and hopefully reach my 1000 point career goal that I have had since freshman year,” said Forrest.

Forrest says the game she is most looking forward to most is Senior Night because, “it is a night dedicated to us seniors and we all get recognized and it is also the boys basketball senior night. My twin brother and I get to share something to together before we go off to college and go our separate ways.”

Be sure to mark your calendars for Senior Night, February 20th for both boys and girls. Lastly, the girls seem to be ready to make a run for a successful post-season this year. Junior, Gia Bargaineer, says “I am already looking forward to Districts because we expect to face Jefferson City in the championship and we want to make a statement this year and get on the road to state.” Holt will host districts this year on February 28th-March 2nd.