This year is going to be another step for the Fossil Ridge High School Girls’ Basketball Team. After their legendary state championship run last year, everyone has high expectations. But what will the Sabercats need to do to continue the success?

With the season already started the Lady Cats have shown they’re still a dominant force in the Front Range League, despite not opening the season ideally. They started out the season with a 65-40 loss to Thunder Ridge. Thunder Ridge’s Taylor Rusk led all scorers with 18 points and the Grizzlies sealed the deal with a 21-11 4th quarter.

Fossil bounced back with two straight wins against Pine Creek and Castle View. In the matchup last Thursday the Sabercats got back to winning ways and squeaked out a tight victory against Pine Creek, 54-48.

In their December 7  match up against Castle View, Fossil outscored their opponent, who also are known as Sabercats, 21-8 in the third quarter that soon led to a 21 point win.

The girl’s headed to Gillette, Wyoming to play a December 11 contest against South Dakota’s Century High School. The Sabercats snagged a impressive out of state win, with a 59-49 victory. On Saturday, December 13, they play another game against Campbell County High School, also in Gillette.

Led by Junior guard Sammi Steffeck the expectations look to be nothing short of what happened last year. Steffeck started on last year’s championship runner-up team as a sophomore. “We are expecting to go far in the tournament again, and hopefully make it back to the championship,” said Steffeck

The Sabercats will of course be missing an offensive piece with Savannah Smith graduating last year, Fossil might be missing the scoring they had last year. Smith averaged 20 points a game during last year’s season. But nothing indicates that Fossil, led by Senior Kellie Willer and Steffeck, couldn’t do it again.