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The Winchester High School girls basketball team (2-1) has gotten off to a winning start after coming away with two victories in its first three games.
The Red & Black opened up with a 55-51 road win against Stoneham on Dec. 12. They then came home Dec. 16 to drop a close decision to Melrose, 49-45, before blowing out non-league host Shawsheen on Dec. 17, 52-32.
Compared to last year, Coach Sam Mosley’s crew is probably reciting a familiar refrain of teams that are on the rebound: “What a difference a year makes.” They lost all 20 games one year ago.
“Last year was not our best year (record-wise), but we are looking to turn things around this winter,” said Mosley, who’s beginning her seventh season along the Winchester sidelines. “I think the girls learned a lot as the season progressed last year, and will use that (experience) to fuel their desire to win (now).”
It helps that the veteran coach welcomed back eight varsity veterans to the first day of tryouts the Monday after Thanksgiving, and three of them are this year’s senior captains. They include guard / forward Sophie Hadas, guard Mira Karunakaran and forward Catherine Ryan.
Rounding out the returnees are junior guard GG Fantini, junior forward Averie Monti, sophomore forward Molly Doyle, and sophomore guards Chloe Lentine and Olivia Rossi. All of that experience has added up to a quick start to date.
The numbers were down for tryouts, with only 21 players signing up. But if they keep on winning, the future of the program might be considerably brighter.
Prior to the Stoneham season opener, Mosley could see that there’s a buy-in that was emanating throughout the varsity roster, “The girls have been soaking up a lot of information,” she said. “They had to learn new plays, while developing team chemistry in a short period of time.”
The coach then added: “We are a pretty young team this year. Along with the eight returnees, we added another sophomore Ari Kurtz and three freshmen – Carolyn Collins, Mya Korpal and Josie Monk – to the varsity roster. I think all four of these newcomers will be contributing factors this season.”
The coach claims the team’s biggest strength this year is its desire to work hard.
“Coming off last season, the girls now have a better understanding on how fast the game is played at on the varsity level, and as a result they are ready to compete,” she said.
Mosley scheduled two scrimmages against Waltham and Malden to get ready for the season, and what impressed her the most from these warmups was just how much they have improved as a team.
“Their communication with one another is coming along, and it can only grow as the season progresses,” she said.
The coach knows all about the compete level in the Middlesex League.
“All the teams in this league are tough, and are also well-coached,” she said. “But I think that the team to beat this season is Woburn.”
The Winchester coach, however, is not backing down from anybody this year.
“We’re looking to compete against (Woburn, and everybody else), and are going to give all of our opponents some good games throughout the next couple of months,” she said.
Speaking of Woburn, the Red & Black will be in Tanner country on Dec. 19 to go up against their rivals, beginning at 5 p.m. The boys game will follow at 7 p.m.
Both teams will then play host to Lexington on Dec. 22 in the last game before the Christmas break. The Winchester girls will kick things off against the Minutemen at 5:15 p.m., with the boys game tipping off at 7 p.m.
Joe McConnell is a longtime, award-winning sports editor for numerous North Shore publications. He began covering Winchester sports for the News last November.
