Moving up to 6A certainly proved to be a challenge for the Lady Trojan basketball teams. They faced fierce competition from schools such as Westlake, Lake Travis, and Dripping Springs. Those teams were a big step up from last season’s 5A opponents, including Northeast, McCallum, and Crockett. Due to the higher challenge, JV finished with a 2-13 district record; Varsity finished 8th in district, with a 2-14 record and 5-26 overall. While the competition was unlike anything they’d met before, it was a season of learning experiences that will carry them into future years.
Last year, many games were blowout wins for the Lady Trojans, who easily overpowered their competition; this season was a different story. “It was a really big shift from 5A JV to 6A Varsity. We had to face a lot of big competition, and even though the season was tough, I feel like we grew closer as a team. We will come back stronger than ever next season,” Andrea Kelly said.
The varsity team this year was very young, in contrast to the more experienced groups the Lady Trojans encountered. Sophomores Leah Heckman, Brooke Fuller (who made first-team all-district), Nonye Muoneme, and Katya Veazey played at the highest level during the 2022-2023 season, along with freshman Cayla Mosby. With just one senior, Ava Slack, this Anderson group was unique in comparison to the other teams. “It was very rough moving into 6A for my senior season. The teams were a lot better than the ones we played in 5A,” Slack said.
JV also had its fair share of difficulties this season, not only with the added challenge of 6A but also with the size of their team. “[We] had a small team with limited numbers, which was hard, but we pushed through and did our best,” junior Hana Kahrimani explained. Basketball is an exhausting sport with a lot of running, and JV often played with just 6 people. Players had to be in the best shape in order to be successful against their opponents.
The limited number of players was a challenge for JV, but it also brought the team closer together. “Since it was such a small group, everyone got along, and we always hyped each other up. Throughout the season, we all got more comfortable with each other, and it really showed in how we played,” Kahrimani explained. Additionally, the guidance of the juniors was essential, and they really stepped into leadership roles for the incoming athletes. “Having the experience of older players on JV definitely impacted our team and helped us all develop to the level we needed to be quicker,” sophomore Izzy Salva said.
Lady Trojan basketball had a challenging year, but that won’t stop them from coming back better than ever next season and dominating the court.
