The HHS girls basketball team did very well this year ending the season with a record of 7-15. This is a huge improvement from the previous year when they were 1-16. This year more games had been added to their schedules and they were better prepared.
When Todd Kenny stepped down as coach Danielle Popis took his place. She recruited many students from the school and other sports while encouraging them to come play basketball. The team in total consisted of 13 this meant that they only had enough girls for a varsity team.
Despite this, every girl was provided an opportunity to play because Coach Popis believed they each deserved it. She knew playing in a game would help build a player’s confidence and put all the practice drills into effect. This was proven to be true because as the season went on many of the players began to improve their skills: and those that never played previously, became more comfortable.
Popis bonded with the girls and got to know them individually and how they played basketball. She stated that Kate Nadirashvili leads by example, Grace DiSerio leads vocally and Madisyn Hernandez, Ivanna Corvere and Aniyah White had all made great improvements and put in the time. All the other girls on the team heavily contributed by cheering and stepping up ready to play when placed on the court.
The team played Mary Help of Christians, Hawthorne Christian, Butler, Midland Park and many other surrounding schools. They got a chance to play their rivals Glen Rock, and although this game ended in a loss, the girls played hard and never gave up. Each girl on the team had a drive and wanted to play: so win or lose they all kept their heads and focused on the next upcoming game.
Unfortunately the team is losing 5 seniors this year. Many of the girls are very sad because they built a special bond between them. However they learned and gained experience from the seniors that they will use in the next season so their leaving is also seen as a positive thing.
This year they all really came together as a team. They all supported each other and made progress that will last far beyond just this season.