Lady Spartans planning to climb the ladder
By Dan Karpiel
The Surveyor
On a metaphorical six-rung ladder of achievement, the Berthoud High School girls basketball team, by their own evaluation, are on step three. The goal for the upcoming season is to climb even higher on that ladder.
“There has been a great standard set for Berthoud girls basketball, and we’re at a good level, but we can go higher,” said new head coach, Alan Gibson, as his team prepared for practice on Tuesday afternoon. “That’s what we’re focusing on; one of our mottos is ‘it’s time to climb.’ We’re sitting on the third rung and we want to climb up to that fourth, fifth and eventually the sixth rung.”
Gibson will replace Randy Earl, who retired following the 2016-17 season after a 14-year run where he compiled 226 wins, won a pair of league titles, and took the Lady Spartans to the postseason 13 times. The bar is set high, and Gibson and his team do not have any doubt they can eclipse the high standards the program has set.
“We have the talent, we have so much talent,” said junior point guard Sydney Meis.
Berthoud will have a somewhat different look on the floor this season. Gibson explained the team will mix in some press and zone looks on defense as opposed to the exclusively man-to-man set the team employed under Earl.
“They’re very athletic. We’re going to try to use our athletic ability and be a bit more of an open-floor team, offensively and defensively, and make sure the other team is always reacting to us rather than the other way around,” Gibson said. “Defensively we want to use the whole floor as much as we can, to try to let our defense be our offense, and have a system offensive that is structured but also allows for some freedom, taking advantage of the girls individual talents.”
Sophomore standout Emily Cavey, who led Berthoud in virtually every statistical category and took home All-Conference honors as a freshman last season, explained it has been a challenge learning the new schemes, but the team has picked things up quickly. “We have some new offenses that we’re learning, and it’s been difficult, but it’s nice because we have these differences and changes and I think it’s going to help us on the court,” Cavey said. “I think together we understand more of the game, instead of getting to know one certain thing really well, we get to learn a lot more and get used to a lot of other things.”
“It takes a lot of basketball knowledge, where to go when a screen comes, it’s something we’ve all been working on a large amount,” Meis explained. “The big challenge is that it’s a new offense, it’s not set in stone … it’s a whole new type of play for us here.”
Both players, as well as Gibson, explained the team has placed an emphasis on building chemistry and closeness and building those intangibles will be invaluable on the court. “We really stress the family atmosphere and playing together, that’s what we stress more than anything. Those are the things that are going to help us climb more than anything,” Gibson said.
The Lady Spartans will begin the season in Denver at a three-game tournament at Manual High School beginning on Nov. 30. Berthoud will return home to host the annual Spartan Classic beginning on Dec. 6.
- February, 01 2018
Threes and free-throws push Spartans ...
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor It can really be a thing of beauty when everything...
- February, 04 2016
Boys basketball get much-needed win
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor Berthoud’s Jamie Gray takes it to...
- December, 01 2014
Berthoud boys looking to rebound
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor First-year head coach Anthony Urrutia takes...
- December, 15 2016
Berthoud Basketball So Close but So Far
Berthoud’s Karsten Bump goes up for a shot against a defender...
- December, 20 2019
Berthoud boys pick up first win of th...
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor After their season-opening defeat at the hands of Thompson Valley...
- December, 26 2014
Hammel’s Spartans hammer Thompson Valley
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor Berthouds Nathan Hammel makes a move...
- Baseball gets mercy-rule win in seaso...
- Berthoud’s Connor Jorissen make...
- Berthoud’s Adrian Short throws ...
- Berthoud golfers win R2J Championship
- Berthoud golf team begins season swing
- Berthoud golf team takes home R2J Cha...
- Spartan soccer ends season on a high ...
- Berthoud soccer squad seeing signific...
- Future appears bright for Berthoud so...
- Berthoud football dominates in season...
- Berthoud football to host foundation ...
- Young Spartans win championship
- Berthoud’s girls basketball sea...
- Lady Spartans keep winning
- Lady Spartans keep finding ways to win
- Lady Spartans claim 7th at state
- Lady Spartan golfers rounding into form
- Lady Spartan golfers aiming for state
- Berthoud softball team falls in regio...
- Strong fundamentals propel Berthoud s...
- Lady Spartans softball team on a five...
- Roberts, Major win conference swimmin...
- Freshman phenom Corrine Roberts alrea...
- The making of a champion
- Berthoud sending two lines to state c...
- Lady Spartans earn second place at re...
- Berthoud tennis claims league crown
- Berthoud girls 4×800 relay, Jayd...
- Forty-year-old track record broken
- Windy R2J Invite blows in season-bests
- Berthoud’s Wil Moneypenny earns...
- Berthoud’s Coble, Moneypenny an...
- Moneypenny wins first, Spartans claim...
Not your usual laundromat
BusinessPoliceFiles – June 23, 2022
Local NewsNew Bites – June 23, 2022
Local NewsSusan Bala expands art camp offerings
Local NewsNews Bites – June 16, 2022
Local News
COMMUNITY CALENDAR:
Community Calendar – add an eventHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
01 Jul 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
05 Aug 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
02 Sep 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
07 Oct 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
04 Nov 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
02 Dec 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM