EASTON, Maine –The Easton girls basketball team had a tough season last year with not getting a single win throughout the schedule.
Yet, Easton Bears coach Bryan Shaw said he saw daily improvements from his players throughout last season, as well as a whole lot of leadership from his juniors (now seniors on the 2019-2020 team).
Shaw, who has coached the team since 2013, acknowledged some of the issues that come with coaching in a small program. He said the most challenging thing was recruiting new girls to fill out the roster.
The main hurdle is often the population of the school itself: there are currently 77 total students in grades 9-12 at Easton Junior-Senior High School.
“Last year, I didn’t have any seniors,” Shaw said. “There were four senior girls, but they didn’t play basketball.”
Right now, Shaw’s roster sits at nine students. He is hoping he can build that number to 14 by mid-season. He said that he had begun focusing his recruitment efforts at the eighth-grade level. There are two junior players on the squad so far this season.
Shaw said he tries to be a positive and calming presence for his players, not “over-the-top.” When negatives emerge, they are addressed, but strategically. He said he is always driving his team to win through positive energy.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a drill sergeant,” Shaw said with a laugh. “I don’t know what they’d say.”
Shaw’s big hope for the year is to get five or six wins on the board. He said the current playoff format is a boon for small schools like his, as his team could make the playoffs without even going .500.
To get there, he hopes to improve upon a few facets of the girls’ game, especially defense. He said he is focusing his efforts on trying to push man-to-man coverage on his team.
“Man-to-man style requires more work, but it also makes the game more energized,” Shaw said.
Senior Cecilia Morin has played on the Easton team since her freshman year. She acknowledges that the road hasn’t always been easy.
“It’s just hard to go from having all those wins to trying to get just one,” Morin said.
But, she said, this year might be different. She was especially encouraged by the success of her team in the summer basketball tournament. In that tournament, she said the team had beaten some County teams they will play during the regular season.
Along with working on her shot, senior Lydia Ferris said she was excited for her team to build strong bonds with one another throughout the season. As one of the few seniors, she wants to drive these bonds with personal leadership, and be a “role model” to younger players.
Ultimately, Ferris said she was ready just to get out there and play.
“I’m excited to build as a team, have some fun, and definitely win some games,” Ferris said.
The members of the Easton girls basketball team for 2019-20 are seniors Lydia Ferris, Cecilia Morin and Michaella Pelletier; sophomores Kaylee Boyce and Emma Lamoreau; freshman Grace Flewelling and Kenzie Legassie; and eighth-graders Amelia Bate and Grace Ellis. Sophomore Maggie Currie and junior Matigan Dow will work as managers for the team.
