The Garfield G-Men girls’ basketball team is no stranger to turning over their starting five, having already done it for two straight seasons. The G-Men will once again transition to a new starting line-up to continue their district title reign and finally capture the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier title this year.
“This year will be one of the more difficult ones because we return so few players from previous seasons,” said Coach Aaron Gilbert. “Each of the last couple of years we have had a really good core of players and this year it is like a whole new team, so that is a big switch for the kids to just fill different roles and see some more time on the floor and have a lot of new faces.”
After being regional finalists in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III bracket in 2016, Garfield had some quiet postseasons before returning to the district title game in 2020 and enters this season having competed in four consecutive district championship games, winning the last three district banners.
With ten consecutive seasons of recording 15 or more victories, the 17th-year coach acknowledged that there has been a precedent set by his program.
“I think the confidence comes from the established culture,” he added. “We are not having to teach new expectations. The expectations are there, and I am sure a lot of people on the outside are looking at it where this is a rebuilding year and getting a lot of players experience. But we have a lot of older players that saw some quality minutes last year.”
According to Gilbert, although the G-Men have been successful in the last two seasons incorporating a new starting line-up, it will be a steeper challenge for Garfield to reach another district title game.
“We have got three seniors but only two of them really saw any varsity time,” he said. “We have got two juniors that saw little to no varsity time and then probably about five sophomores and only one played.”
The last time Gilbert could recall having a squad this young was during the 2017-18 season and that team still won the Portage Trail Conference County Division championship and reached the district semifinal.
Garfield’s only returning varsity starter is sophomore guard/forward Mandy Cardinal, who averaged 12.3 points, grabbed 6.8 rebounds, recorded 3.7 assists and made 1.9 steals last season.
“Mandy was a first-team all-conference player as a freshman and not too many freshmen could come right in like she did and have an impact,” Gilbert said. “I also think part of that was also her surrounding cast allowed her to grow throughout the season.”
Gilbert added that he plans to rely on the 6-foot Cardinal’s versatility and will have her play all five positions at one point or another this season.
Senior Zoey May, who came off the bench last season, will move into the starting lineup as the shooting guard.
After only averaging 3.2 points but knocking down 3-point shots at .733 clip while hauling in 1.6 rebounds and recording 1.1 assists, Garfield will need the 5-foot-3 May’s sharp shooting more than ever.
“In the tournament run, Zoey was able to prove herself being a knockdown shooter from outside and she is going to be asked to do a lot of that same role this year and probably do a little bit more ball-handling than what she did last year,” Gilbert said.
Playing at small forward will be senior Kali Tasker. “Her basketball IQ is through the roof, she knows all of the sets and knows all of the defenses and knows how to get everybody lined up,” Gilbert said of the 5-foot-7 senior. “She is like a coach for us on the floor and maybe what she lacks in height she makes up in knowing where things are going to end up.”
Joining the starting line-up will be Kali’s younger sister, sophomore point guard Kaelyn Tasker and junior forward Kolby Fresch.
Although that is the projected starting five for opening night, Gilbert said the lineup may constantly change depending on match-up advantages throughout the season.
One strength Gilbert hopes to see from his squad is the unselfishness that last year’s team demonstrated, with three players each recording 90 assists. He added Garfield will play at a slower pace at the beginning of the season and will try and dictate the pace.
The G-Men will be on the hunt for their first conference banner since joining the MVAC Grey Tier two years ago.
“The thing about the MVAC is there are no nights off, it is an amazing conference in that there is so much depth it’s just one of the deepest conferences around,” Gilbert said. “There are no nights off and you better bring your “A” game every single night because even those top teams can get knocked off by anybody.”
After a home opener against Portage County foe Crestwood on Wednesday night, the G-Men will travel to Hubbard High School for a road contest on Nov. 30.
