The Fossil Ridge girls’ basketball team has had their best season in school history. They currently hold a record of 22-1 and they are ranked 5th in state. The team just concluded their season and they are now heading into the playoffs, where they have high expectations. The team finished the season with four straight wins after their only loss of the season coming against Poudre High School.
FRHS juniors Savannah Smith and Kellee Willer say the team has set high aspirations for themselves in the playoffs. “Currently we have the goal of making it to the final four,” says Willer, however, “the ultimate goal is to win state” says Smith.
To get to where they are today, the team started training and working out in the summer. It all started out with tournaments and open gyms. They also used the summer to grow closer together as a team, where they would do team bonding activities and team dinners. “A lot of us are friends outside of school and we are all very close,” says Willer.
The team has also improved from the beginning of the season to where they are now. They have limited teams to fewer than 40 points in seven straight games and they put up their second highest score of the season, 81, against Greeley West in their third to last game. Defense and athleticism are keys to their success, as these are the strengths of the team, according to Smith and Willer.
Despite the great accomplishments of the team, there are things that they can improve upon. “We need to play more consistently throughout the entirety of the game,” says Willer. Also, Smith said, “We need to focus on not letting offensive breakdowns occur very often during games.”
If the team can find a way to play consistently offensively and defensively in games, “There isn’t anybody that can stop us going forward.” FRHS plays their first playoff game, Friday, Feb. 28.
