By JOSE NEGRON
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Entering his 16th season as McKeesport’s girls basketball coach, Eric Smith admits there are some unknowns.
He isn’t exactly sure what to expect from a team filled with youth.
He’s certain, though, that the Tigers are going to play hard and compete day in and day out.
“I know there are going to be some growing pains because we have a lot of youth,” Smith said. “Because we do have so much youth, it’s tough to figure out how it’s going to be.”
A year after advancing to the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs with a 15-8 record and an 11-3 Section 3-4A mark, the Tigers are faced with having to replace three key seniors.
Gone are Laila Taylor, Brianna Evans and Jhayla Bray, who averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds per game last year.
Smith is expected to rely on a pair of senior guards in Haley Hertzler and Carmen Coles, both of whom were named captains.
He also expects to see a lot out of sophomore guards Avionna Menifee and Malina Boord, a pair of players who received valuable playing time last year as freshmen.
“We’re expecting these girls to be the heartbeat of our team,” Smith said.
McKeesport’s youth movement doesn’t end with Menifee and Boord.
Smith expects to utilize a number of young players, including sophomore McKenzie Moody, who was at times the first player off the bench last season. Freshmen Brooke Evans, Maddy Hertzler and Kaylee Charles are also expected to contribute key minutes.
“We’re going to play a lot of girls and I don’t know how many a lot is,” Smith said with a laugh. “It’s going to be more than eight and there are going to be other freshmen who will contribute. We’re going to be relying on a lot of youth, and a lot of these girls are going to be thrown into the fire early.”
The Tigers’ young stars will have to grow up quickly and acclimate themselves with the speed of the high school game and the duration of the season.
“Regardless of how many AAU games you play, the high school season is a grind,” Smith said. “The quicker these girls pick it up, the better. That’s going to be key to the success of our season.”
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