Numbers, optimism up for Springdale girls basketball

By: George Guido
Saturday, November 30, 2019 | 8:55 PM

There is a welcome sight at Springdale girls basketball preseason practices.

Players.

A bunch of them.

After going through an interminably-difficult 2018-19 season with six players, the Dynamos have more than doubled their turnout for this season.

There are 14 players for now — 15 when an injured player returns in January.

“I understand how things go, but I would have like to have seen us get more credit going through an entire varsity season with six girls,” coach John Broderick said. “Those girls deserve so much credit. They learned so much during that adversity last year that it’s really going to pay dividends for us this year. As hard as it was, it was really a good growth year for the girls”

Senior guard Katlyn Nagy said: “It was really hard because there was only six of us. We were close and bonded every day, every practice to have the teamwork that was needed. We’re so excited now to have all these girls.”

An immediate turnaround of last season’s 0-19 record and 0-12 mark in Section 2-2A is not expected. The closest game was a 31-14 loss to Brentwood, and the Dynamos scored more than 20 points just three times.

“I had comments last year from opposing coaches and officials about how impressed they were with hard our girls worked and never gave up,” Broderick said. “If you walked in the gym and (took a) snapshot there, you wouldn’t know what the score was because the girls played like they were in every game.”

Nagy is back along with sophomore guard Brianna Thompson and sophomore forward Maggie Dvorak. Julia Parfatt is hurt and is expected back around Jan. 1.

Caitlyn Ullger was the only player who graduated.

Senior Anna Harmon is back after a two-year absence and is expected to contribute.

Freshman Kayleigh Ferderbaugh also is being counted on to contribute.

Ferderbaugh is one of eight freshmen on the team. That will allow Springdale to play a junior varsity schedule.

Broderick gives much of the credit for the larger turnout to assistant coach Courtney Yaksich, whose I “Heart” hoops is designed for elementary-aged girls in the summer. The current crop of ninth-graders is the first group to come through the program to the varsity level.

“It’s finally a feeder system for us,” Broderick said. “Courtney and her coaches did it all on their own. They raised the money and really have a nice thing going.”

No one is expecting Springdale to make a huge leap in the standings. But an unquestionably more competitive environment exists.

The bolstered Dynamos open the season Friday at 6:30 p.m. against Lincoln Park in the school’s tip-off tournament at Donald McGhee Fieldhouse.

Springdale opens section play Dec. 12 at home against Brentwood.

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