No one was quite sure at the beginning of the year where the varsity girls’ basketball season was headed, but as they begin the first round of the state playoffs tomorrow night, they’re content with the present and confident in the future.

With a handful of returning players and only two seniors, Ella Cate Hungeling and Georgia State commit Emma Drash, the team began the season 0-5. While their competition was very good, including games against 6A schools and defending state champion Wesleyan, such a rough start was not what the girls were hoping for.

“We expected to be young and have bonding issues,” said junior Wylie Sheridan, “but we’ve gotten a lot better, and everyone is getting involved.”

Knowing that the team was in need of leadership with so many young players, Sheridan knew she had to step up. She even got advice from former players, such as “get in extra practice at the gym and work as a family.”

During the their early-season struggles, assistant coach Michael Abbott said they needed both verbal and non-verbal leadership in order to find success on a team that was inexperienced with the “faster and more up-pace style of play” at the varsity level.

He predicted that the younger players would “start to mature as the season goes on,” and he was right.

Beginning with a 41-32 victory over Marist in December, the team went on to win five of their next six games. Last week they captured a region runner-up title, and for the first time in four years they’ll enter the state playoffs as a two-seed and will host a home state playoff game. Sheridan and Drash were also All-Region selections in addition to freshman Karis Coleman.

With the new crop of players collectively leading the team into the postseason, all that they need is a single goal to focus on. In the words of head coach Kyle Snipes, that goal is “win.”

The girl will host the first round of the state playoffs this Friday at 6:00 pm against Carroll-Central, followed by the boys’ game at 7:30 pm against Cedartown.