West Potomac Girls Basketball season is off to a great start as they are 17-1. Last year, the team went 12-9 with a point differential of 173 across all 21 games. This year, the Wolverines have already won 5 more games than last season. So what contributed to the success of this year’s basketball season? New coach, new players, new mentality?
Dawn Houston, Junior, won December Athlete of the Month. She has grown up around basketball, and started to play in second grade. Even though Houston is a junior, she is a huge part of the West Potomac Girls Basketball team. Houston averages 3.2 rebounds a game, 1.2 assists per game, and averages 10.5 points per game. Houston believes the teams recent success is because of the teams close connection. “We have a lot of returners from last season, so it really made us closer to knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Houston said.
The West Potomac Girls Basketball team has eight returning players, three of whom are seniors. Olivia Jones is one of the returning seniors and agrees that the contribution to the team’s success was their connection. “During the preseason, a lot of us went to the workouts and green days. We also did a team camp over the summer,” Jones said. The work of the team is paying off, as eight players have already scored in double figures. The team still continues to get closer even after the preseason. The night before every home game, someone will host a team dinner. This is a great opportunity for players to have fun and relax before a big game. Every player brings so much to the team, but there is bound to be leadership lost when the seniors leave. “We have two juniors this year that are really good ball handlers, and they’re also really good leaders. I think that they will be able to carry that leadership on,” Jones added.
The team’s connection brings them closer together, but another ingredient in the team’s sweet success is a new head coach. Joe Petrucelli took over the girls basketball program after longtime coach Brian Colligan left. Petrucelli was the assistant coach under Colligan for eight seasons, and has been coaching for nine. Player Daw
n Houston believes that his coaching method is working, and is changing the team for the better. “We’re running a new offense this year, and it’s working pretty well,” Houston said. “The way he approaches practices and the way he encourages our team has also really changed.” Petrucelli has been able to coach an efficient and widely recognized team. The West Potomac Girls Basketball team is ranked number nine in the NOVA Hoops girls rankings. “Rankings are cool, and it is always nice for our players and our school to get recognized, but, at the end of the day, we’re not overly worried about being ranked or where we are ranked. Our main focus has been to compete and get better each and every day,” Petrucelli said.
The season is still in full swing with five more games still left to play. Many players don’t want to jinx the great start to the season, and neither does Coach Joe. “We play in a very good Patriot district and every game is a different challenge. There are a lot of really experienced coaches and some very talented players, so every game is a tough one. We still have a tough road ahead, but we have shown that we can beat just about anyone when we’re playing at our best,” Petrucelli said.
Tonight, Girls Basketball hosts Fairfax at home for senior night at 7:30. The three seniors being honored tonight are Olivia Jones, Jill Humphreys, and Adriana Cianciolo.
