Marble Falls girls basketball shows chemistry in summer league
CAPTION: Collins Berkman is giving the Lady Mustangs quality minutes at guard. Staff photos by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School girls basketball team is making the most of what’s left of its traveling summer league.
The Lady Mustangs return to the court Tuesday, July 7, for a couple more weeks of play. The league includes Fischer Canyon Lake, Johnson City and the surrounding area. Coaches decide on gyms on Monday afternoons.
Head coach Adley Canales has been sitting with the fans watching the contests. The players sub themselves in and out, decide what position they’ll play, call their own fouls, and make their own adjustments without a coach sitting on the bench with them.
“I’m really pleased, really excited, just based off what I’ve seen the past couple of weeks,” Canales said. “They are working on what we want to emphasize, which is just being unselfish, giving up a good shot for a great shot, moving the ball around, and making the defense actually play defense as a team, not just one on one per se. I thought they did a great job of that and have been doing a great job of that.”
Several familiar faces have been in the lineup — senior Alexis Sprott, juniors Ally Moran and Reese Ramsey and sophomore Emma Martin. Moran and Martin started just about every District 24-4A game that led to a 7-3 record and finishing second in the race. Newcomers Collins Berkman and Molly Gray have contributed solid minutes as they’ve become part of the rotation. Berkman has been playing guard, while Gray has been at post.
“It tells me they’re committed and they want to be successful,” the coach said. “They like to work hard, and they’re dedicated, which is all we can ask for as a coach.”
The different player combinations showcase the individual talent of each player. There’s speed, court smarts in knowing where to go with the ball, moving without the ball, and finishing fastbreaks. When defenses have gotten back to defend, the Lady Mustangs are confident in their half-court offense.
Canales said summer league play has revealed all that and more.
“Chemistry and getting used to the varsity speed,” he said. “Some of the girls have seen it before, some of the girls are coming up from the eighth grade, some of the girls are being moved up from (the junior varsity) or freshmen, so it’s just a way to get them into the feel of things, playing other varsity players. Whether they end up on the varsity or a different team in our program, they at least get to see it before the first game of the season.”
The way this summer league is set up allows for each to establish leaders.
“You can see certain girls stepping up as leaders,” the coach said. “You can see girls stepping up. You can also see players willing to take girls under their wings regardless of grade level, and that’s good for us because it helps fill team chemistry. It just proves that nobody is bigger than the program. What we preach all the time is we play for the name on front of our jersey, which says ‘Mustangs’ or ‘Marble Falls.’ And we go as the team goes. If we can keep the team the main thing, we’ll be great. And I think the girls have really bought into that, and they’re doing a great job of that.”
Overall, Canales is happy to see the Lady Mustangs take the court and put in quality minutes in an effort to have a successful school year.
“This is a good group, the girls like each other,” he said. “They want to be successful, they want to work hard, and they are working hard, and they’re extremely coachable, which is huge. And the good thing is they get to see the things that we’re working on pay off. I tell them all the time my job as a coach is to put them in the best position for them to be successful, both individually and as a team. If they get that and they’re successful as individuals, then ultimately we will be successful as a team. But the biggest thing to keep in mind is that team comes first, and they’re doing a great job of that.”
CAPTION: Molly Gray’s play at post in the lane is one example of depth.
