By Chris Parker
Hermitage girls basketball has a new head coach in Harley Maxwell this season. She inherits a program coming off a five-win season with just one senior on the roster.
That lone senior is Izzy Sabala.
“Izzy Sabala is our one and only senior returning this year,” Maxwell said. “She is a great all-around player for us. She defends well, is a great outside shooter, and can also compete inside if we need her to. She is also a great leader for us on and off the court. I’m super excited to see what she can accomplish this season for us in her senior season.”
Kenzie Antle is a returning junior.
“Kenzie is a hustle player, defends well, and is a great shooter/attacker for us,” Maxwell said. “She will be a key part of our offensive and defensive game.”
Chloe Friedman is also a junior returning on varsity.
“She (Friedman) is a great defender and a clutch shooter for us,” Maxwell said. “She does the little things that you need to have on the varsity court.”
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Chloe Clemmer (sophomore) will be returning to the post.
“Chloe Clemmer is super coachable and has improved so much from summer to now,” Maxwell said. “I’m excited to see her compete on the inside and work to get points, boards, and shooters open for us.”
Gracelynn Antle is a sophomore and the sister of Kenzie.
“She (Gracelynn Antle) is a great attacker and ball handler for us on the offensive side, and a huge part of our pressure defense,” Maxwell said.
Freshmen Megan Crawford, Kylia Hannah and Allison Simmons along with sophomore Cali Heiser will be newcomers to watch.
Strong defense will be a calling card for Hermitage.
“We have a lot of aggressive defenders and are a fast team. I think the girls can be scrappy on defense and we can push the ball on offense,” Maxwell said. “We need to be more confident on our shots taken from the outside, and be more aggressive on the boards.”
Hermitage opens the season on Nov. 17 at Miami (Amoret).
“I believe these girls have the potential to compete with every team we play this season,” Maxwell said. “As long as we just focus on establishing culture and working to get better every day, I will consider it a successful season.”
