RPAC Rundown Spotlight Series: Arapahoe Girls Athletics Looking Forward to a Big Year
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Yes, we know it may be a little early to talk about basketball season, as the fall sports year is about to begin. But the summertime includes offseason work from all three sports seasons.
Last year, the Arapahoe girls' athletic programs faced challenges beyond their opposing competitors, as the injury bug hit them hard as well. Athletes, including now-seniors Ruby McCune and Desi Farner and now-juniors Taytum Roskop and Sawyer Shafer, all battled injuries. McCune missed her fall and all but the last game of the winter season with a torn ACL. Farner played one match of volleyball and then missed the entire winter season with a torn ACL, lateral meniscus, and sprained MCL. Roskop missed some of the fall and all of the winter with a torn medial meniscus. Shafer had a stress fracture in her foot early in the basketball season, but she competed all winter and missed all of track season.
So yeah, a few injuries to say the least.
Despite all of this, the Warriors had a successful year in girls' athletics. Basketball was especially successful despite all the injuries, and the Warriors qualified for the NSAA State Basketball Tournament. The Warriors did graduate some key pieces, but they return a strong core of players, and they have high expectations once again.
We visited with Clara Hilker, a senior now, about how tough last season was, but also how rewarding it was.
Junior Suttyn Shafer had a similar response, too. And they were looking forward to having a number of great defenders to rotate in prior to the injuries, "...Just knowing we could be a really good defending team...just having our three seniors (from last year) and our younger people come together and work really hard and stay disciplined.
As we mentioned, Sawyer Shafer had a stress fracture in her foot. Despite the injury, she felt like she could and did endure the pain for the betterment of the team. "I knew I had to push through because we were very limited on people. So I knew I had to do what was best for the team.
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Fellow junior, Taytum Roskop told us how challenging it was to watch the team have success, but also how rewarding it was to still be part of the team. "I mean yeah, it was rough. Seeing them succeed, I was happy...but just not being on the court was really hard to just watch them and be able to play the sport you love.
The now-seniors who were injured last year, Desi Farner and Ruby McCune, are both excited for their senior seasons and the potential they have as a team.
"I'm just excited to get back, obviously from my injury, and be able to play one more year...hopefully go out with a bang," said Farner.
McCune had a similar comment to Farner.
Head coach of the Warriors, Preston Blackmore, tells us about last season and also how they maintain high expectations without applying too much pressure.
He also told us what the squad has been up to during the summer, and how they have been committed to getting better.
We'll say it again: there are high expectations for the Arapahoe Girls Basketball Team, but I think it's fair to say there will be high expectations across all fall, winter, and spring athletics for the Warriors, as they have a number of outstanding athletes.
It will be exciting to see how they do, beginning this fall.
