Amid the unknowns of COVID-19, the new-look Xavier College Prep girls basketball team is looking for a fresh start to make a steady push for a potentially long playoff run. 

Over the past three seasons, they have enjoyed a tradition of long playoff runs. Led by head coach Jennifer Gillom, the girls' steady defensive mindset catapulted them to be one of the best teams in the 6A premier district league. 

“We all have been focusing on scoring points and I just wanted this team to become a defensive-minded team because that’s the reason why we arrived at the state championship game two years in a row,” Gillom said. 

In 2018, this approach propelled Xavier College Prep to a 28-5 record, which was good for second overall in the league behind eventual state champion Hamilton, who they lost to in the state championship.

Their consecutive state title runs had a lot to do with how well they played in their 6A premier league division. They posted a 7-2 record in 2018 and an impressive 8-0 record in 2017 to become one of the top district-seeded teams in back-to-back years.

Fast forward to 2019, when they finished league play with a 2-6 record. They went 18-11 overall and were bounced in the second round of the playoffs. 

“We know we didn’t have a great start to the season last year,” Gillom said. “But it was also good for us because it kind of let us know where we were and where we needed to get to for this upcoming season.”

With their eyes on a state championship, the girls are off to a 6-3 start including three league wins, amid a pandemic that postponed half their season.

They must go through daily health testing for COVID-19 and are aware that practices and games could be canceled at any time of the season. 

This has led senior Victoria Saucedo to understand how grateful she is for the opportunity to play in her final season.

“We’re so grateful to have a season at all because, as you know, the season was canceled for a few days,” said Saucedo. “That really put things into perspective for us and gave us the incentive to work twice as hard towards the goals we have.”

With strong fortitude and an optimistic approach, Gillom still looks at the postponement of the season as a positive for her group to have a great season. 

“On a positive note we were able to do a lot more individual work, improving their skills, and working on conditioning as well, so I guess it had its advantages and disadvantages,” she said.

If you were to ask senior player Rachel Orr, they still have a certain goal in mind, and that’s to get back to the state title game and bring a trophy home.

“We all want to leave an impact on the school and the basketball program, with the ultimate goal of winning a state championship,” said Orr. “Our team is incredible and once we begin to play as a team, I know that we will have an amazing season and are capable of winning the state championship.”