Winchester Head Coach Holly Gutierrez talks to her team during a scrimmage at Centerville.
WINCHESTER, Ind. – Expectations are high as Winchester Head Girls Basketball Coach Holly Gutierrez begins her third season with the Golden Falcons.
“This is probably the best start we’ve had in the three years I’ve been here as far as being ready to play,” Gutierrez said.
Winchester finished 20-6 last season and claimed a sectional title to raise the expectation for this year.
“They are higher when you return basically the entire squad from a sectional championship team,” Gutierrez said. “They’re excited, full of energy and working very hard.”
“Winning that sectional was such a big deal to them because of where we started,” she continued. “They know what they can do and they are just building on that.”
Tri-Eastern Conference Player of the Year Maddie Lawrence is back after scoring 16.2 points per game, while grabbing 7.0 rebounds a contest as a freshman. She also led the conference with 4.7 assists a game.
Junior Kira Robinson was also a member of the all-conference squad as she posted 12.0 PPG and 6.8 RPG as she led the TEC in blocks at 3.7 a game.
Victoria Pegg is the lone senior on the team, while Hannah Graft, Sarah Graft and Shelby Miller are juniors. Becca Chamberlin joins Lawrence as the other sophomore.
“All seven of them know their role,” Gutierrez said. “They are all on board.”
Gutierrez does have a concern as the team prepares to begin the season.
“Being healthy and staying healthy,” she said. “Can we sustain everybody, all seven of us all year long? We need everybody.”
The Golden Falcons entertain Bluffton in their season opener on Saturday. Winchester is at Knightstown for its first TEC contest on Friday, Nov. 10.