Uniontown girls preview: Lady Raiders hope chemistry equals success
Penny Kezmarsky is hoping chemistry produces positive results as she enters her seventh season as Uniontown girls basketball coach.
鈥淲e have a good core group returning,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淲e have a nice group of seniors and juniors that have been playing now together for three or four years. They have a good chemistry on and off the floor.鈥�
That group includes seniors A鈥橩ira Dade and Geelece Ingram and juniors Emily Myers and M鈥橩inli Baker. Sophomore Lyric McLee rounds out the starting five.
鈥淎鈥橩ira Dade and Geelece Ingram will share the job as point guard,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淓ither one of them can run the offense. They鈥檙e pretty interchangeable when they鈥檙e out on the floor together which they will be. A鈥橩ira is super fast and she plays great on the defensive end.鈥�
Myers gives the Lady Raiders some height and a presence in the paint.
鈥淪he鈥檚 really coming into her own,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 a good rebounder and can clean up the shots around the rim for us. She鈥檚 really worked on her post moves and her post game is coming on.鈥�
Baker and McLee are guard/forwards.
鈥淟yric is so athletic, great speed, great on defense,鈥� Kezmarsky said.
Uniontown鈥檚 top two players off the bench are senior Haley Abbott and sophomore Khloey Wakefield.
鈥淗aley鈥檚 been with the team four years now will be a sub for the guard position,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淜hloey is strong inside. She鈥檒l be able to give Emily some relief here and there. She鈥檚 going to be a very good forward.鈥�
Kezmarsky鈥檚 teams have always been known for their gritty defense but she hopes for a bit more offensive production to complement that this season.
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e got a group that can eventually get it going on the offensive end,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his could be the year we play on both ends of the floor where we鈥檙e not solely relying on scoring off of defense.鈥�
The Lady Raiders are again in Section 3-AAAA along with Elizabeth Forward, Belle Vernon, West Mifflin, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold and Southmoreland. Uniontown finished fifth in the section last season.
鈥淚 think we can find ourselves somewhere in there, giving them all a game,鈥� Kezmarsky said.
Uniontown opened its season going 1-1 at Brownsville鈥檚 Falcon Fest, falling to Chartiers-Houston and defeating Bentworth, before dropping a 42-37 battle at Class AAAAA Connellsville.
The Lady Raiders will be shifted up from Class AAAA to Class AAAAA next season.
鈥淭he first four years I was here we were 5A and it was tough,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淏eing at the bottom of the count for 5A, playing against teams with a lot more girls to pull from, it makes it difficult. Between 5A and 4A, in my opinion, is a big difference. It will also depend on where they put us.
鈥淏ut we鈥檒l cross that bridge when we come to it. I do have a good junior high group right now. We鈥檝e just got to put in more work and get after it.鈥�