WINCHESTER, Ind. – A new face will be leading the Winchester girls basketball program as the 2015-16 season gets underway as Holly Gutierrez takes over the Falcons after three seasons at Pendleton Heights.
Despite being new to Winchester, Gutierrez is a familiar face in the Tri-Eastern Conference. A 1999 Northeastern graduate, Gutierrez won three straight sectionals while in high school from 1996-1998 before coaching the Knights to a title in 2011.
“Practices have been extremely awesome,” Gutierrez said of her first few weeks with her team. “The girls tell me they’ve never worked so hard in their lives.”
“Their enthusiasm and work ethic are definitely helping us get better each day,” Gutierrez continued. “My girls are like sponges, wanting to be challenged and wanting to get better. I’ve never had a team that you ask them to do something once, and they go out and do exactly what you ask of them.”
Senior Mariah Roberts, who was All-TEC a year ago, is the top scorer returning at 10.3 points per game. All-TEC Honorable Mention choice Becca Neville tossed in 6.0 points per contest, while topping the Falcons at 8.5 rebounds a game.
Sarah Mallory and Bailey Brumfiel are the other seniors on the roster for the Falcons, who were 3-19 overall last season and 1-6 in the conference.
Liz Peggs, who scored 6.5 points a game last season, leads the junior class that features Sierrah Love and Autumn Dixon. Kelly Graft is a sophomore and Hannah Graft is a freshman.
“We will have our challenges and battles this year,” Gutierrez said. “We are looking at the big picture and getting better is our No. 1 goal.”
“More importantly, I hope we are preparing them for life through the game of basketball,” Gutierrez added. “I have a very smart and talented group of young ladies that deserve to have a great season.”
Winchester opens the season at home against Bluffton on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Falcons start their TEC slate at Tri on Friday, Nov. 20.