Frazier girls trending upward under Shaulis
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Frazier鈥檚 Kaelyn Shaporka shoots a 3-pointer against South Side during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity last season. The WPIAL has opted for an open tournament for the 2020-21 postseason which means all teams will be invited to take part in the playoffs if they so choose, regardless of record.
Frazier coach Winston Shaulis shouts advice to his players as they play South Side聽during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity on Feb. 14.
Frazier's McKenzie Miller (left) and South Side's Sydney Payne (23) battle for a rebound during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity on Feb. 14.
Sometimes it takes awhile for players to adjust to a new coach.
That was the case early in Winston Shaulis鈥檚 first season at the helm of Frazier鈥檚 girls basketball team.
The Lady Commodores broke out of the gate slowly, losing their first five games in getting off to a 2-8 start. Frazier went 7-4 in its next 11 games, though, to clinch a playoff spot. Then, as the last seed in a 12-team field, it threw a scare into fifth-seeded South Side Beaver before falling by a 61-47 score in a first-round game that was tied 43-43 early in the fourth period.
鈥淭he girls progressed 10-fold across the season,鈥� Shaulis said. 鈥淭hey focused all the way though, trying to do all the little things correctly throughout practice. We were a totally different team halfway through the season and kept getting better after that.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have been prouder of those girls in the playoff game. We had a good game plan and they followed it and we were in that game most of the way.鈥�
The Lady Commodores lost 1,000-point scorer Sierra Twigg to graduation as well as Lindsey Somers but have a good bit of experience returning, including seniors Kaelyn Shaporka and McKenzie Miller.
鈥淲e do have about four or five key contributors from last year returning to the varsity,鈥� Shaulis said. 鈥淲e had one girl, Kaelyn鈥檚 twin sister Kendall, who tore her ACL and was out all of last season. So she鈥檚 excited and looking forward to being back.
鈥淲e have younger girls who last year got a lot of experience and we have a core of freshmen that are coming up through that are going to get some time as well.鈥�
In addition to the Shaporka twins and Miller, Shaulis鈥檚 rotation will include junior Eliza Newcomer, sophomore Delaney Warnick and freshmen Molly Yauch and Taylor Hazelbaker.
鈥淢cKenzie and Eliza will be forwards, the rest are guards,鈥� Shaulis said. 鈥淚 can switch different girls in and out in different schemes.鈥�
Kaelyn Shaporka, who had 16 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in the playoff loss to South Side Beaver, has assumed the role of team leader, according to Shaulis.
鈥淜aelyn鈥檚 a big voice within the girls,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot of them are just trying to do their part and doing well. They鈥檙e all pushing one another. But Kaelyn is someone that not only the younger ones but the older girls look up to with her experience.鈥�
Shaulis, whose assistant coach is Hannah Kline, and his players have had to navigate their way through the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 really been affected with COVID going on,鈥� Shaulis said. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 able to do much over the summer, so that was kind of disappointing because we were looking forward to that time, just like any other coach or program, during the offseason.
鈥淲e were limited in the amount of practice time we had, but I think we were able to make up for it once we got going in the fall. Girls were taking advantage of the open gyms.鈥�
Frazier was 9-14 overall and finished in fourth place with a 6-6 record in Section 3-AA last year. This year the Lady Commodores and Carmichaels have moved over into Section 2-AA where they will join Beth-Center, California, Serra Catholic and Seton LaSalle聽
鈥淚 think again we鈥檒l be competitive within our section,鈥� Shaulis said. 鈥淪ome of those schools were 3A teams that are dropping down to 2A (Seton LaSalle and Beth-Center). It is exciting, some of those schools we鈥檙e playing. We鈥檙e looking for that competitiveness. We haven鈥檛 won a girls section championship since 1974. We鈥檙e looking to change that as a program.鈥�
Despite dealing with an unusual offseason, Shaulis feels his team has adjusted to him as he enters his second year.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a little bit more understanding of the expectations,鈥� Shaulis said. 鈥淚 know the girls are hungry. They鈥檙e looking forward to the season.鈥�