Brentwood girls make 5th straight playoff trip

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 16, 2018 | 11:00 PM

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Prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, Brentwood had not participated in the WPIAL girls basketball playoffs in more than a decade.

Since 2013-14, the Spartans have been playoff qualifiers five consecutive times.

“The catalyst five years ago is attributed to the senior leadership at that time from Laura McGowan and Sydney Bauer,” said Rachel Thomas, Brentwood's coach during the program's recent renaissance. “They had been with the program at its worst, they acknowledged the five freshman coming in, and knew they could help them to be successful.

“With every win, the girls have gained more and more confidence. They believed in the coaching staff and our philosophies. And most importantly, they knew the coaching staff believed in them. Each year, the girls' mental strength has improved. Now, being a part of a winning program is expected. They all want to be successful.”

Following five straight losing seasons from 2009-10 to 2012-13, Brentwood posted a 15-7 record in 2013-14, including a 1-1 mark in the WPIAL playoffs.

McGowan, a 6-foot forward, and Bauer, a 5-7 guard/forward, were the only two seniors on the 2013-14 squad.

McGowan currently is in her last semester at Pitt and is pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner. After graduation, she will complete an accelerated BSN program in either the fall or spring.

“Simply put, senior year was a lot of fun,” McGowan said. “We had girls who were willing to put in the work to make things happen and we had awesome team chemistry, which showed when we were playing together. Going into the season, we even knew that it was going to be the turnaround season. Things felt different, and we had high expectations. It was humbling for Syd and I to have gone from essentially being mercy-ruled every game our freshman year to going into games our senior year with the honest chance of being able to compete with almost any team we faced.

“It was rewarding being part of the group that turned things around, but it was even more rewarding seeing the underclassmen take that momentum from that season and make even more improvements to create a more permanent change to the program.

“Some of the girls who are currently on the team are girls that Syd and I worked with when they were younger when we used to help out at the middle school basketball practices, so it's also amazing seeing them make their own accomplishments and continue to build to the program.”

Bauer is a senior at Duquesne and is scheduled to graduate in May. She is a video production intern for the Penguins and currently works in multimedia operations in the Duquesne athletic department.

“Throughout my four years (at Brentwood), we went through it all. I wouldn't trade those years for anything,” Bauer said. “Laura and I learned how important team chemistry is, and that's something we wanted to carry into our senior season. Being able to communicate with your teammates both on and off the court goes a long way, and this proved to be true when we made the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

“Once we found our confidence, we knew we could do something special. It's great seeing coach Thomas, the staff and the girls accomplish more and more each year.”

The Spartans ended up 11-10, 13-9 and 17-6 in the three seasons from 2014-15 to 2016-17, leading to this year's 15-6 record and third-place finish in Section 2-2A.

The seniors on this year's team — forwards Morgan Dryburgh, Marie Stofesky and Taylor Kottler, and guard Brittany Stewart — were in eighth grade in 2013-14.

“Since Brentwood is such a small community, most of us knew each other growing up and have played basketball with each other throughout the years,” Stewart said, “and I feel we all have a strong bond and click very well together. We always work very hard with high expectations.

“I feel that work, dedication and playing basketball during the offseason has helped us grow individually as basketball players, which improves us as a team. Everyone on the court plays a unique role in our team's success.”

Dryburgh's role includes providing a strong frontcourt presence for the Spartans.

“The key to our success is teamwork, and making sure everyone is on the same page,” Dryburgh said, “but also having fun at the same time. When we all know what everyone else is doing, we play really well. We have been working hard this whole season to get to where we are, and I want my senior season to continue.”

Prior to this year's playoffs, Brentwood was 71-38 over the past five seasons. Throughout the steady rise of the program, Thomas has served as the Spartans' anchor.

“My coaching philosophy has not changed,” said Thomas, a 1986 Brentwood graduate and former roundball standout. “I have always believed in teaching fundamentals, hard work, commitment and responsibility. And providing life lessons as well as basketball guidance.

“I believe our success is truly because my teams have always worked hard. They know I believe in them and they are willing to work hard for me, and in turn they believe in themselves. The girls deserve the credit.”

Brentwood ended up third in section play with a 10-4 record, behind Vincentian Academy (14-0) and Leechburg (12-2). Riverview secured the fourth playoff spot with a 7-7 slate.

“We had every confidence we would make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year,” Thomas said. “This year's team is very talented. We have some key players really beginning to hit their peak at the right time. And the girls have gained valuable playing time to continue the success of this program.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Brentwood