Lady Raiders face tough road in Class 5A
Uniontown无毛视频檚 girls basketball team showed improvement last season, upping its overall record from 4-17 to 8-13.
Another jump in wins seems unlikely this season after the Lady Raiders were bumped from Class 4A up to Class 5A and dropped into a very strong Section 4.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e going back to 5A so we无毛视频檝e got a lot of work to put in and get ready to play basketball,无毛视频� eighth-year coach Penny Kezmarsky said of the move up. 无毛视频淭J, Baldwin, Trinity, Peters Township, Bethel Park 无毛视频� we无毛视频檙e obviously facing some good teams and have some long bus rides. We do have one local rival. AG is in our section so we无毛视频檒l be playing them twice.无毛视频�
Peters Township, Bethel Park and Baldwin were all 6A teams a year ago.
无毛视频淣umbers are numbers I guess,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said on the enrollment cut-offs. 无毛视频淲e started in 5A when we took this position. We went to 4A for two years and now we无毛视频檙e back to 5A. We无毛视频檝e been here before so we know the basketball we无毛视频檙e getting into. I just have to make them realize 4A and 5A, there无毛视频檚 a big difference. What can you do? We无毛视频檒l get ready and prepare for those games.无毛视频�
The Lady Raiders might have a tough task ahead but Kezmarsky likes her roster.
无毛视频淲e have a good group of girls, some who无毛视频檝e been with us for four years and are seniors now.无毛视频�
Uniontown has three seniors, including captains Emily Myers and Mkinli Baker.
无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e a good combination as leaders,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淓mily is very vocal. Mkinli is sort of a lead-by-example girl and she kind of keeps everybody straight and in the right place. They work well together.
无毛视频淲e have a third senior who hasn无毛视频檛 played the last two years but we无毛视频檙e glad she came back this year and that无毛视频檚 Disaya Craggette.无毛视频�
The two senior captains will play in the frontcourt in the Lady Raiders无毛视频� starting lineup..
无毛视频淓mily is our center, Mkinli will be the four,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e looking at a freshman point guard, Charley Murtha, who无毛视频檚 going to have to learn fast. Our other starters are Lyric McLee, a junior, who plays the two and Tessa Nicholson, a sophomore who无毛视频檚 a transfer from Rockwood, will be the three.无毛视频�
Each of the starting five brings something different to the table, according to Kezmarsky.
无毛视频淓mily is our tallest player and has come a long way with her post moves,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淢kinli is a rebounder. The ball can be on the other side of the basket and somehow she gets over there and gets it. We无毛视频檙e going to trust Charley to handle the basketball and get up the floor for us. Lyric is a great defender and Tessa is a good all-around player who can do a little bit of everything.
无毛视频淒isaya will be our first girl off the bench and she无毛视频檚 also almost interchangeable with Lyric for that two guard position. Rae Robinson is another freshman who is going to get a lot of minutes. She无毛视频檚 the daughter of (former Red Raiders star) Ray Robinson. Kaleeya Tyler is a sophomore who helps out at the point guard position, too, off the bench.无毛视频�
Kezmarsky, who again will be assisted by Michelle Sevcik, knows what to expect when her team gets into section play.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e really getting ready, preparing to break presses because we anticipate a lot of pressing,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e going to try to get to the fastbreak to not give anybody a second to get anything set up, so just get the ball and go. We无毛视频檙e also working on conditioning because we无毛视频檝e got to be in shape to be able to keep up with the teams in our section.无毛视频�
Uniontown, in a rarity, opened the season with a section game, falling to Thomas Jefferson, then split two games at Brownsville无毛视频檚 Falcon Fest, losing to Chartiers-Houston but defeating Bentworth in a 1-2 start.
While Albert Gallatin is in their section, the Lady Raiders don无毛视频檛 have Laurel Highlands or Connellsville on their schedule.
无毛视频淭his is the first year since I无毛视频檝e been here that we无毛视频檙e not going to be playing Laurel Highlands,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淲e do have a few other local teams. We will be playing in the Carmichaels tournament at Christmas.无毛视频�
The Lady Raiders also have non-section games in January at California (Jan. 8) and at home against Ringgold (Jan. 15) and Brownsville (Jan. 22).