Sloan leads the way for Lady Bulldogs
Guiding a team through a season during the COVID-19 pandemic is nothing new to Beth-Center girls basketball coach Steve Beyer.
鈥淲e went through this with the volleyball team,鈥� said Beyer, who also coaches that sport at B-C. 鈥淟ike I tell the girls, you just have to take one day at a time.
鈥淎 lot of the playerss on this team also played volleyball for me and we were in quarantine for two weeks. The season was delayed for us and by time we began we were playing like three and four games a week to get caught up.鈥�
The Lady Bulldogs are having a hard time getting on the floor for basketball season as well.
鈥淚 just found out that both of our scrimmages scheduled for the next two weeks have been cancelled and one of our first games have been cancelled,鈥� Beyer said. 鈥淪o right now we don鈥檛 even know if we鈥檒l have any scrimmages before the season starts. The tip-off tournament we were going to play in got cancelled and so did our Christmas tournament.
鈥淲e鈥檙e scrambling to try to find a scrimmage with someone right now.鈥�
The Lady Bulldogs could use the preseason work with a young team that lost starters Olivia Greco, Elizabeth Trump and Madison Hunyady to graduation.
鈥淭his is definitely a rebuilding year and we didn鈥檛 have any offseason,鈥� Beyer said. 鈥淩ight now we only have eight girls on the team. So we鈥檒l be looking to our senior Anna Sloan to lead the way for us. She was third on the team in scoring last year and second in rebounding.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been a great player for us and we鈥檙e going to rely on her for our offense and our defense. Anna has stepped into the leadership role. All the other girls on the team like her.鈥�
Julia Ogrodowski will take over the point guard spot.
鈥淛ulia鈥檚 a junior who鈥檒l definitely be a starter,鈥� Beyer said. 鈥淪he was an off guard last year.鈥�
Ogrodowski ideally would be playing shooting guard again if it weren鈥檛 for an unfortunate injury to one of her teammates.
鈥淲e have a freshman, Lauren Brown, who probably would鈥檝e been our starting point guard, and the last week of soccer season she tore her ACL so she鈥檚 out for the year,鈥� Beyer said. 鈥淥ur numbers were low already so that was a very bad break for us.鈥�
Beyer, who enters his 22nd year with the Lady Bulldogs, hasn鈥檛 had a lack of effort from the players who are on the roster.
鈥淎ll the girls we have at practice right now are working really hard,鈥� said Beyer, who is still mulling over who鈥檒l complete the starting lineup.
鈥淲e have another senior, Mallory Little, who played a little bit last year for us. She didn鈥檛 get too much varsity time but she understands the offense, she understands the system that we play, so she鈥檒l be moved into a starting position also.
鈥淛ada Davis is a freshman who is just an athlete. She never played basketball before but she鈥檚 a strong girl with a lot of natural ability. We鈥檒l probably be using her in the four position. We also have four freshmen who are learning the ropes.鈥�
Beth-Center was 8-13 overall and 4-10 in Section 2-AAA last year.
鈥淲e went down to Double-A this year,鈥� said Beyer, whose team will play in Section 2-AA. 鈥淪erra Catholic is in there so I imagine they will probably be the front-runner. California is in our section. They have a good group of girls over there so I鈥檓 sure they鈥檒l do well.鈥�
The section also includes Seton LaSalle, Carmichaels and Frazier.
There is help on the way for Beyer, who will be assisted by Dylan Davis for the second straight year.
鈥淥ur middle school looks really good,鈥� Beyer said. 鈥淲e had about 18 girls sign up for that team. So I think we鈥檒l get back on an upward swing when they get here.鈥�