After a decade of sustained success, the Garfield G-Men girls’ basketball team has seen its fair share of trials over the last two years with a pair of losing records. The G-Men will feature a more well-rounded approach along with improved depth as they seek a resurgent campaign.
“We have a little bit more experience under our belt with the same kids that have been playing varsity for two or three years, so you expect an increased level of play, and you feel like you are a little bit prepared to be able to enter the season as opposed to our past couple of seasons,” said Coach Aaron Gilbert.
Having graduated only two seniors from the rotation, the G-Men return most of their core players with the addition of some new faces who have been elevated from the junior varsity squad.
According to the 19-year coach, one of Garfield’s strengths over their decade of dominance across the Portage Trail Conference and Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier was their depth. With not as much experience over the past two years and little depth behind it, he acknowledged that made things that more difficult.
Now, the G-Men enter the season with a deeper bench and Gilbert said that makes all the difference.
“We have ways we can cut some of their playing time down a little bit because we have got more than capable bench players that are going to be able to come in and produce at a relatively similar level to those that they are subbing for,” he added.
In addition to having a goal of a bounce-back season, Gilbert noted that the G-Men also are striving to move up in the MVAC Grey Tier, with three-time champion Crestview still projected as a top team in a conference that features tremendous depth.
“The Grey Tier is not an easy level, year in and year out,” he said. “There have been deep runs by teams in that Tier to go far in the tournament whether it be the district or regional level. There is not any team that you can take lightly so night in, night out, we have to be ready to go.”
Returning for her fourth year as a varsity starter is senior guard/forward Mandy Cardinal, who averaged 15.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 3.1 steals while shooting 28% from beyond the arc in 23 games last year.
“She is a motivated player who knows that she has probably not done everything high-school wise that she has wanted to accomplish with the team,” Gilbert said of the 6-foot senior. “Having her sophomore cut short with injury was one of the things. At same time, I think it helps her get an appreciation for where we are going and trying to get the other teammates to understand the work needed to get back to that level.”
Joining Cardinal in the returning core will be senior guard Kaelyn Tasker, who tallied 2.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.7 assists in 22 games as a junior.
“Kaelyn kind of got thrown to the wolves as a sophomore when Mandy went down,” Gilbert noted of the 5-foot-3 Tasker. “She learned and last year she grew from that and had a really good season and even in the two scrimmages we have had so far, she has picked up where she has left off.”
Senior guard Riley Grace also returns as a multi-year letterwinner, coming off of the heels of a junior year where she posted 5.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and a 26% shooting clip from long distance in 22 games.
“Riley is one of those that we will be able to play at her natural position,” Gilbert noted of the 5-foot-5 senior. “She is definitely an undersized post but now we will be able to play her a little bit more at a wing position, where she is a much better shooter, so that will open up some things.”
Gilbert said that the G-Men will once again not have a true set starting five, which allows them match up differently against teams in each game, but highlighted players such as junior guards Charlee Hill and Madi Seiler, junior forward Kylene McMayon, sophomore forwards Leah Hill and newcomer Jordyn Hill, all as being valuable contributors to the team’s success.
The 5-foot-5 Charlee, averaged 3.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 assists in 23 games, while the 5-foot-7 Leah recorded 1.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 23 games, the 5-foot-5 Seiler tallied 5.5 points and 1.3 rebounds over 16 games and the 5-foot-6 McMayon posted 3.0 points, 3.0 rebounds in 23 games.
The G-Men’s campaign begins when they hit the road to face MVAC Grey Tier foe Champion on Dec. 1 in Warren at 6 p.m.
