Wyoming Area’s Krea Bonita attempts a 15-foot shot against Wyoming Seminary on Feb. 7.
Tony Callaio File Photo | For Sunday Dispatch
Shannon Kearns (13) of Wyoming Area, dribbles past a Blue Knight of Wyoming Seminary during the last home game of the season for the Warriors.
Tony Callaio File Photo | For Sunday Dispatch
Wyoming Area’s sophomore class has already begun establishing itself.
That makes it evident that better times are ahead for the Lady Warriors in girls basketball.
Sprinkle in just enough senior leadership and coach Mark Casper is able to enter the season confident that the team does not necessarily have to wait for the future to make its move.
“We only won six games last year,” said Casper, who is entering his third season as head coach after 11 previous seasons as an assistant at Pittston Area and Wyoming Area. “At minimum, our goal is to flip the record.”
The Lady Warriors sent 4-8 in Division 2 of the Wyoming Valley Conference last season and 6-17 overall.
Seniors Krea Bonita, Kendall Day and Erica Gilligan are present to help the sophomore class and some promising freshmen as they look to lead a quick rebound for a program that had its most successful postseason ever in Casper’s debut.
Casper points to success elsewhere as one of his reasons for optimism.
Wyoming Area features many multi-sport athletes. In the case of basketball, the Lady Warriors will rely on girls coming off a field hockey season that saw them go unbeaten into the state semifinal and a girls soccer season that was good enough to earn them the top seed in the District 2 Class 2A playoffs.
The Lady Warriors certainly have athletes. The uncertainty is how many basketball players they have in that group.
“We are very athletic,” Casper said. “We have a ton of talent. We have a bunch of successful girls from all the other sports.”
Bonita, one of the field hockey players, is the point guard. She led the Lady Warriors in scoring (6.1 per game) and assists (1.3) last season.
Sophomore guards Addison Gaylord and Abigail Sterba are the other top returnees although Gaylord will miss the start of the season while recovering from a knee injury
Gaylord led the team in 3-pointers and rebounds (4.2) while ranking second in scoring (5.5) and steals.
Sterba led in steals and blocked shots while ranking second in rebounds and 3-pointers and third in points (4.9).
Day and Shannon Kearns give the Lady Warriors inside options. Kearns, another sophomore, joins Gaylord in being ready to handle the tough defensive assignments.
“We are relying on our senior leadership and our sophomores,” Casper said. “And, we have some freshmen coming up.”
Aubrey Lewis, Sophia Wardell, Sydney Ratchford and Anna Kelleher are other sophomores that are expected to figure into the mix.
Casper expects Jailynn Park to see immediate varsity action and thinks she will be joined by other freshmen classmates.
“The other freshmen will be playing JV and there will be potential for varsity minutes,” he said.
