The HSMSE's Girls Basketball season ended early after losing to the 35th seeded Clinton School Hawks in the first round of the PSAL Class B playoffs at the Nat Holman Gymnasium. To an outsider, this may seem like a failure; however, the 2019-20 season was a great improvement for the Dragons. Last season, HSMSE lost a majority of their games, completely missing the playoffs.
The Dragons were able to advance farther this year, largely due to alterations in their practice style and to changes within their division. Coach David Scheiman had the team practice more often, and introduced rigorous versions of previously used drills.
“[There were] a lot more practices, a lot more dedication, a lot more leadership,” Scheiman said. “[We had] more intensity, more in-game drills, more practices, and a lot more conditioning in there.”
HSMSE benefited from changes in the PSAL’s division alignment. They avoided playing seven of the eight teams they lost to last season.
“We’re in a division in which I think we could be more competitive than we were in the past,” he said. “Some of the other teams that got out of our division [were] notoriously some of the best teams in the B division.”
The team’s newfound resolve and motivation has them eager for the upcoming season. The girls have high hopes, believing they can go much farther with their new players.
"We still have many of our starting players and many new players that can help us achieve more than we did this season," sophomore guard Taylor Jeffery said.
The team’s aspirations of a winning season will not be easily achieved, but with the Dragons continuous hard work, dedication, and practice, their ambitions could very well become a reality.
- William Reusing also contributed to this story.
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