Basketball tryouts in play

PHOTO: DHS women’s basketball tryouts

By Naneh Grigor

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

With another basketball season coming up, tryouts are in play. 

The women’s basketball team for Davis High held tryouts through the week of Oct. 30 for all grades. The drills used to determine the consisted of “skill training to defensive and offensive drills as well as 1v1s, 2v2s and scrimmaging 5v5 that show off our individual skills,” senior Alia Cordone said. 

Cordone has been on the varsity team since her freshman year but has been playing basketball since 2nd grade and because of that she has formed a very strong bond with her teammates. “They mean pretty much everything to me and I feel as if we are all bonded like a family,” she said. 

Junior Vidya Merchant is going into her second year of varsity for the DHS team where she had recently suffered from an ankle injury. “Tryouts were during my first week back from an ankle injury, so naturally I felt nervous both about my performance and making the team,” Merchant said. 

The difference in rigor between the tryouts versus playing in the actual game is something that was considered when forming the drills that determine the team. 

“Tryouts exemplify our individual skills and like practices, develop our ability to play as an individual and team. Games themselves are very physically and mentally demanding, and require a lot of strong teamwork and communication,” Merchant said. 

Going into her final year on the team, senior Captain Tessa Schouten is looking forward to “enjoying my last times on the basketball court and of course break the record night.” She has been playing on varsity since freshman year but has kept her love of basketball going since third grade city league basketball.

“We have a decent amount of new girls this year so I was definitely feeling out how the team was gonna be this year during tryouts, but now that we’re into practice and already all clicking I am confident that we will have a fun and successful season,” Schouten said. 

Though there are newcomers, the girls on the team grow very close throughout the season and work together to start off their winning streak strong. 

“The team means always having a supportive and positive environment to fall back on filled with the greatest group of girls who I am very excited to start the season with!” Schouten said.