2018 Winter Sports Preview: West Orange High School Girls Basketball
WEST ORANGE, NJ — With strong returning players that led the team to their first-ever North 2, Group 4 State Sectional title, the West Orange High School Girls Basketball team has high expectations going into the 2018 season.
Coming off of a 22-8 season, which concluded with a defeat to Franklin in the Semifinal Group 4 Tournament, head coach Caniece Williams is very optimistic about the season ahead.
“This year our goals are to win the conference, win the county championship, and win a consecutive sectional championship once again,” she began. “I would love to have another opportunity to play for the group championship as well.”
This year’s varsity team consists of hard-hitting and fundamental players who are “really going to contribute to the success with their experience from our successful season last year,” as stated by Coach Williams. This includes five valuable returning seniors, a junior who will provide great defensive skills, and a group of outstanding sophomores who are expected to do an impressive job both offensively and defensively.
Leading the team this season is Mya Bembry, a four-year varsity player. Last season, she scored the 1000th point of her high school career and currently averages about 19.5 points per game. Bembry has recently committed to playing basketball next year at Penn State.
The team is also expected to feature a new and remarkable freshman player, Kiley Capstraw. She is prepared to do her part in helping the team be successful. “I made sure that I was in the gym getting shots up. I made sure I focused on some of the weaker parts of the game,” she has stated. Capstraw also outlined some of her personal goals, which includes building a relationship with her teammates and her coach.
As a whole, the team has been preparing for this year’s season since the summer. They participated in endless workouts both in the weight room, which was twice a week and in the gym, three times a week. They also played in a fall league on Sundays. They have tryouts this week, and their first game is on December 18th against Arts High School.
“I am looking forward to enjoying my team.” Coach Williams stated. “The girls that I coach are simply amazing, and I truly enjoy being their coach and interacting with their families. Not all coaches can say this about their team, and I am beyond grateful to feel this way about this group of young ladies. It makes the ups and the downs that much more meaningful when you go through them with a group that you feel connected with outside of the game of basketball. I am also looking forward to having another successful season, we’ve put our name on the maps so people are looking for us to make some noise!”
