The girls basketball season started Nov. 19. The Glendale Independent and Peoria Independent asked the local coaches for their outlook on the season.

CENTENNIAL COYOTES

5A Northwest Region

2024-25 Record: 7-19 overall, 3-7 region

Coach: Brady Rath (sixth season as Centennial coach)

Top Returnee: G Jolie Galbreath, Sr., (9.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg); C Audrey Power, Sr., (4.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.8 bpg).

How many years have you coached basketball? I have coached basketball for about 12 years.

What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? Our team’s best attribute is our ability to play 12-13 girls a night.

What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? We will need to improve on our ability to take care of the ball and rebound.

Who are your team leaders? Our team leaders are junior Chrissy Moojen and Aysiah Duran and senior Izzy Alvarez.

Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Freshman guard Elle Lehmann (No. 10) is somebody who is going to make a huge impact on our team this year. She is a good ballhandler and a really good shooter. She has been a great addition for us this season.

What needs to happen for your squad to reach the state tournament this season, or achieve the goals the team has set? In order for us to reach the state tournament we will need to take care of the ball and reduce our turnovers as well as improve on our ability to block out.

IRONWOOD EAGLES

5A Northwest Region

2024-25 Record: 7-19 overall, 3-7 region

Coach: Tatum Henderson (fourth season as Ironwood coach)

Top Returnee: F Addison Monahan, Sr.; G Ny’Rel Shadowvine, Jr.

How many years have you coached basketball? Fourth  season as head coach

What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? Our team outworks just about anyone we are up against. Regardless of record, status, or ranking, my girls go into every game with the same amount of effort and fight, and they apply it to all 32 minutes of each game.

What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? A word that we have been focusing on this year is precision. My girls do everything full speed and full effort, but with that tempo of play, it is easy to lose sight of the precision needed to be successful. Both offensively and defensively, we need to be exact, and we have to strive for perfection.

Who are your team leaders? Addison Monahan (senior), Jessica Serrano (senior), Ny’Rel Shadowvine (junior). Addison and Jessica both started out this season as returning varsity players, team captions, and starters. Unfortunately, Jessica tore her ACL in game 2 of the season, and Addison tore her ACL in game 3. Their absence has made a significant impact on our team, but they have continued to serve as team leaders from the sidelines of both practices and games since then. Ny’Rel is someone who leads by example. She is one of the most hungry and passionate players that I have ever coached. She pushes her teammates to rise to every occasion and takes every opportunity to make our team better.

Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Isabella Montgomery (freshman), Jenise Jones (sophomore), Delilah Alcaraz (junior).

What needs to happen for your squad to reach the state tournament this season, or achieve the goals the team has set? Move with precision, strive for perfection, and play with the mindset that we can and will compete with anyone.

MOUNTAIN RIDGE MOUNTAIN LIONS

6A Desert Valley Region

2024-25 Record: 6-20 overall, 1-7 region (did not make playoffs)

Coach: Jaime Carreon (eighth season as Mountain Ridge coach)

Top Returnee: G Kaliyahna Baldwin, Sr., (8.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.2 spg); G Allie Arnold, Jr., (4.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg).

How many years have you coached basketball? 26th year coaching girls basketball. Eighth year at Ridge

What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? We didn’t graduate anyone from last year. And each game we have different leading scorers. We have a system in place that allows anyone to shine on any given night.

What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? We have to improve on being aggressive. That will solve 80% of our problems.

Who are your team leaders? Our three seniors, Alyssa Kalk, Kali Bladwin, and Danielle Mason 

Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Freshman Hellen Gedney, Sophomores Caprice Starr, and transfer sophomore Amiaya Tice (from Northwest Christian).

What needs to happen for your squad to reach the state tournament this season, or achieve the goals the team has set? The best thing about our team is also the worst thing about our team- We have a great group of nice girls. And in order for us to survive to the playoffs we have to be willing to show more aggression. We are tactically sound, but we have to play with more intensity.

O’CONNOR EAGLES

6A Desert Valley Region

2024-25 Record: 18-10 overall, 7-1 region (second round of 6A playoffs)

Coach: Charles Wilson (fourth season as O’Connor coach)

Top Returnee: G/F Audrey Bhesania, Sr., (16 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.6 apg); G Ava Schooler, Jr., (12.0 ppg, 4 rpg).

How many years have you coached basketball? Fourteen years of coaching overall. Four years as head coach

What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? Our team’s best attribute this year is the IQ and love for the game. All of the players on the roster genuinely love the game and want to be on the court.

What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? Consistency, togetherness and sacrificing personal success for team success.

Who are your team leaders? Our captains are Audrey Bhesania, Ava Schooler, Franny Sofia and Terise Lancaster. All of them bring different leadership aspects to our team in their own ways. We will be holding them all to a very high standard this season and expectation is to help keep this team in sync both on and off the court.

Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Junior Lana Shirley. A transfer from Dobson is a silent assassin. Such a high IQ and feel for the game. She brings a lot of different things to our team that will not show up on the stat sheet. Sophomore Franny Sofia is a Liberty transfer.

What needs to happen for your squad to reach the state tournament this season, or achieve the goals the team has set? In order for our team to reach the tournament this season and make a deep run we will need a lot of sacrifice and togetherness. We have been preaching it since the offseason, and our girls understand how important it is. The talent is there but it takes so much more.