Balance the key for Lady Cougars’ offense
Balance is usually key when building a team in most sports, and if Yough’s Mike Gerdich gets his wish, balance will be instrumental for his girls basketball team.
“This year we will have a well-rounded attack with our five starters,” said Gerdich, a former star at Saint Vincent College. “All of them have the ability to put the ball in the hole and consistently knock down shots from the outside.”
The Lady Cougars play in Section 3-AAAA with Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Ligonier Valley, Mount Pleasant, Southmoreland and West Mifflin.
“All the teams in our section are tough, but I think Southmoreland will be favored,” said the fifth-year head coach.
Yough has two returning starters: junior center Laney Gerdich (6-0), a three-year starter, and senior forward Kayla Gerdich (5-9), a two-year starter.
Joining them in the starting lineup will be senior guard Makayla Dixon (5-4), junior guard Mikalah Chewning (5-7), and sophomore wing Autumn Matthews (5-8). Junior Alexis Wieland (5-8) will be the top reserve.
Gerdich also mentioned that some younger players could see time.
“There may be some freshmen that get varsity minutes, but we have to see how things progress in practice,” said Gerdich.
Gerdich did not hesitate outlining his goals for the season.
“The goal remains the same for us this year, and that’s every day we get a little better than we were the day before,” said Gerdich. “We want to consistently be competitive in our games, and if we can do those two things, the win and loss columns with take care of themselves.”
Gerdich also defined what a successful season will look like.
“We have to stay healthy and take care of ourselves to have a successful season,” explained Gerdich. “We have to approach each practice and game with the mindset locked in, thinking how we will get better than we were the day before.
“We also have to think about what we can do to improve the team.”
The Lady Cougars open the season in the Southmoreland Tip-Off Tournament against West Greene.