This year’s season for the KO girls varsity basketball team has been marked by significant improvement around the court compared to last season. The Wyverns currently hold a strong record of 10-8 as they enter the final stretch of their season.
The Wyverns have been led by three captains this year. Junior guards Olivia Pilecki and Samaria Gonzalez have brought experience, hard work, and energy to the team. At the same time, senior forward Reagan Heafey-de Angelis has also been a phenomenal leader for the team and has always had a positive attitude through the ups and downs of the season. “Samaria brings a competitive spirit to practices and games,” assistant coach Tylon Smith said. “Reagan gives us experience on the court and Olivia is a phenomenal leader. These three are so crucial to our success.”
Patience and hard work in the off-season have allowed the team to win games and work well together. “This season has been successful because of our effort,” Gonzalez said. “Basketball is most of our [players’] main sport, which has allowed us to focus on the game and not worry about other things.” Being dedicated to basketball is a quality shared among the majority of the team, which has allowed them to be so cohesive and successful as a team in this past season.
Throughout the year, the Wyverns have picked up some very impressive wins. They defeated Williston Northampton, Westminster, Miss Porters, and Millbrook. These games were filled with relentless defense and persistent offense from the Wyverns. The girls also fought valiantly in the KITs. They unfortunately lost to the Kimball Union team that went on to win the tournament, but the Wyverns were able to continue working hard in their games and finish third in the tournament.
As the season comes to an end, the Wyverns are looking forward to next season as they return the majority of their team next year. “Next season, we will have the experience and talent necessary to build off of the success from this season,” Gonzalez said. “We will continue to work hard in the off-season and build our team chemistry so that we can win more games in 2026.”
The Wyverns have a very solid and strong core of underclassmen who will assume a larger role on the team next season. “Eden Gonzalez has been great for us this season,” Smith said. “She is only a freshman but she is consistently competing with older competitors each game.” The Wyverns also have a couple of middle schoolers on their roster this season.
In the Wyerns rematch against Westminster this past Friday they were able to win by 33 points due to the contributions of the younger players on the team. Eighth-grade guard Dalila Malz and seventh-grade guard Naomi Diffenderfer both put up 10 points leading the Wyverns to a 53-20 victory!
All in all, the Wyverns have been great on the court this season and have done a tremendous job at competing with top talent. Their young roster leaves the opportunity to have a phenomenal season next year. They hope to take this momentum and use it to strive on the court next season!
