Jefferson-Morgan girls preview: Lady Rockets starting anew this season
Almost everything is new with the Jefferson-Morgan girls basketball team this season.
Myke Larkin is the new coach and he will implement a new system, and try to affect a new outlook and culture.
Jefferson-Morgan will compete in Section 2-A with Avella, Geibel Catholic, Mapletown, Monessen and West Greene.
“It’s going to be competitive,” Larkin said. “Monessen has a good team. West Greene has been a power and some nice young ones. Geibel will be good with an outstanding player.”
The Rockets were 0-22 overall last season.
They opened with a victory, 31-28, over Carmichaels in the Donna M. Furnier Tournament to open the 2023-24 campaign in the first weekend of the season..
“Our weakness is coming together,” Larkin said. “Coming off the past couple seasons, we’ve guided the girls in a different direction. They don’t have any expectations from the past recent seasons.
“We’re not content with the state of our program. We’re starting a new program. We want to be better. We have not been successful the last two years.
“We must tear it down and build a new one around these talented girls. I believe in them.
This program is just starting over.”
Larkin said Jefferson-Morgan will lean heavily on seniors Kayla Larkin (5-5) and Allison Ostrich (5-4), sophomores Ava Wood (5-6) and Kaelyn Martos (5-7), and senior Lacey Ryan (5-5).
Other team members include sophomores Leighana Gooden (5-5), Addalei Larkin (5-1), Catelyn Teagarden (5-1), seniors Elaina Robinson (5-3) and Lauren Uveges (5-6), junior Elsa Roberts (5-4), and freshman Krissa Snyder (5-6).
“What we’ve gained is some size and we are working with better depth and a deeper roster,” said Larkin, who will be assisted by Jimmy Wood.. “We feel better than just our starting five. We’ll use our depth, which I think is a strength.
“The girls are working well together. The coach’s personalities are not clashing. My management style is different. These girls are used to us through youth ball and instructional basketball. It’s a coordinated effort to bring this all together.
“We have goals and we will be working toward them. We are starting something different.”
The Rockets’ non-section schedule includes Beth-Center, Bentworth, Frazier, Brownsville, Carlynton, Charleroi, California, McGuffey and Hundred (W.Va.).
“We have a good, solid base of older and younger girls,” Larkin said. “We’ll be better in the and we will shoot better. Our girls have good knowledge of the game and a willingness to work and improve.”