Frazier girls trending upward under Shaulis
Rob Burchianti | 无毛视频-Standard
Frazier无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 first season at the helm of Frazier无毛视频檚 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.
无毛视频淭he girls progressed 10-fold across the season,无毛视频� Shaulis said. 无毛视频淭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.
无毛视频淚 couldn无毛视频檛 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.无毛视频�
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.
无毛视频淲e do have about four or five key contributors from last year returning to the varsity,无毛视频� Shaulis said. 无毛视频淲e had one girl, Kaelyn无毛视频檚 twin sister Kendall, who tore her ACL and was out all of last season. So she无毛视频檚 excited and looking forward to being back.
无毛视频淲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.无毛视频�
In addition to the Shaporka twins and Miller, Shaulis无毛视频檚 rotation will include junior Eliza Newcomer, sophomore Delaney Warnick and freshmen Molly Yauch and Taylor Hazelbaker.
无毛视频淢cKenzie and Eliza will be forwards, the rest are guards,无毛视频� Shaulis said. 无毛视频淚 can switch different girls in and out in different schemes.无毛视频�
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.
无毛视频淜aelyn无毛视频檚 a big voice within the girls,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淎 lot of them are just trying to do their part and doing well. They无毛视频檙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.无毛视频�
Shaulis, whose assistant coach is Hannah Kline, and his players have had to navigate their way through the COVID-19 pandemic.
无毛视频淓verybody无毛视频檚 really been affected with COVID going on,无毛视频� Shaulis said. 无毛视频淲e weren无毛视频檛 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.
无毛视频淲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.无毛视频�
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
无毛视频淚 think again we无毛视频檒l be competitive within our section,无毛视频� Shaulis said. 无毛视频淪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无毛视频檙e playing. We无毛视频檙e looking for that competitiveness. We haven无毛视频檛 won a girls section championship since 1974. We无毛视频檙e looking to change that as a program.无毛视频�
Despite dealing with an unusual offseason, Shaulis feels his team has adjusted to him as he enters his second year.
无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e a little bit more understanding of the expectations,无毛视频� Shaulis said. 无毛视频淚 know the girls are hungry. They无毛视频檙e looking forward to the season.无毛视频�