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The transfer of county Player of the Year candidate Cassie Cooke from Westminster and return of fellow All-County guard Jordan Neville from a torn anterior cruciate ligament brought an air of excitement to the Winters Mill girls basketball program this season.
Perhaps nobody was more excited than Falcons senior Jen Peters.
Without much experienced help in the backcourt last season, the All-County guard struggled through constant double teams, becoming a focal point of opposing defenses as her team slid to a sub-.500 record.
These days, however, No. 12 Winters Mill is back to being one of the hottest teams in the metro area, thanks in large part to the additions of Cooke and Neville.
"It's opened a lot up," Peters said. "After Jordan tore her ACL last year, we lost a lot. Gaining Cassie and getting Jordan back really helped us out."
Heading into this weekend's play, the three guards each were averaging 12-13 points per game for the 12-0 Falcons, who have been able to play a much more up-tempo style than a year ago.
They've also found numerous ways to win, hanging a 64-point loss on North Harford and 31-point loss on South Carroll earlier in the season, while also showing the resilience to pull out tight games in defeating Middletown, Walkersville and Francis Scott Key by a combined seven points.
While Peters' scoring numbers have dropped slightly from a year ago, the senior would gladly trade a couple points for wins.
"She had a lot put on her last year," Falcons coach Bernie Koontz said. "I think she's been helped this year having a couple people around to help her offensively. Some of our kids, like [forward] Missy [Rankin] and Jen, had to assume a lot of leadership early as juniors. Now they're continuing to do that, but having Cassie around and Jordan back has definitely helped them."
The additions also affected players like sophomore guard Mackenzie Cyr, who was forced by circumstance to start as a freshman. Now, with a season of varsity playing time behind her, she fills a key reserve role. She, along with teammates like senior Kelley LaPorta, junior Amy Bare, a newcomer to the program, and junior Kristen Byrne, who spent much of last season injured, has given Koontz far more options off the bench.
"It's definitely helped," Koontz said. "Last year, we didn't have quite as much depth. Now, we're kind of back to where we were two or three years ago. We have people coming off the bench who are capable of keeping the flow of play going."
It was in 2005 when Winters Mill posted its best season in school history, finishing 20-6 and advancing to the Class 2A state semifinals. Koontz isn't quite ready to make comparisons to that team, but so far, the evidence is pointing in the same direction.
At the very least, players realize just how far this team has come from last season.
"We're just more athletic and have a lot more talent this year than we did last year," Peters said.
Virginia Tech-bound
Pole vault standout Jess Huber will lead a handful of top competitors from the North Carroll indoor track team into next weekend's Virginia Tech Invitational, a prestigious annual meet featuring some of the region's elite track athletes.
Other participants from the Panthers include junior sprinter Alexis Hurd (55, 300), junior sprinter Katie Crumbaugh (500), freshman high jumper Amber Melville, and on the boys side, sophomore sprinter Chris Langowski (500).
Huber, a senior, may stand the best chance to medal. At last week's Monocacy Valley Athletic League meet, she vaulted 10 feet, 9 inches, just 3 inches shy of the top seed at the Virginia Tech meet.
"She's confident she's going to be doing 11 feet before the year is over," North Carroll coach Jim MacDonald said. "We wouldn't be surprised if she came out finishing toward the top."
The meet will take place just 10 days before North Carroll's regional meet -- something MacDonald hopes will give his athletes a leg up heading into the remainder of the postseason.
Perhaps nobody was more excited than Falcons senior Jen Peters.
Without much experienced help in the backcourt last season, the All-County guard struggled through constant double teams, becoming a focal point of opposing defenses as her team slid to a sub-.500 record.
These days, however, No. 12 Winters Mill is back to being one of the hottest teams in the metro area, thanks in large part to the additions of Cooke and Neville.
"It's opened a lot up," Peters said. "After Jordan tore her ACL last year, we lost a lot. Gaining Cassie and getting Jordan back really helped us out."
Heading into this weekend's play, the three guards each were averaging 12-13 points per game for the 12-0 Falcons, who have been able to play a much more up-tempo style than a year ago.
They've also found numerous ways to win, hanging a 64-point loss on North Harford and 31-point loss on South Carroll earlier in the season, while also showing the resilience to pull out tight games in defeating Middletown, Walkersville and Francis Scott Key by a combined seven points.
While Peters' scoring numbers have dropped slightly from a year ago, the senior would gladly trade a couple points for wins.
"She had a lot put on her last year," Falcons coach Bernie Koontz said. "I think she's been helped this year having a couple people around to help her offensively. Some of our kids, like [forward] Missy [Rankin] and Jen, had to assume a lot of leadership early as juniors. Now they're continuing to do that, but having Cassie around and Jordan back has definitely helped them."
The additions also affected players like sophomore guard Mackenzie Cyr, who was forced by circumstance to start as a freshman. Now, with a season of varsity playing time behind her, she fills a key reserve role. She, along with teammates like senior Kelley LaPorta, junior Amy Bare, a newcomer to the program, and junior Kristen Byrne, who spent much of last season injured, has given Koontz far more options off the bench.
"It's definitely helped," Koontz said. "Last year, we didn't have quite as much depth. Now, we're kind of back to where we were two or three years ago. We have people coming off the bench who are capable of keeping the flow of play going."
It was in 2005 when Winters Mill posted its best season in school history, finishing 20-6 and advancing to the Class 2A state semifinals. Koontz isn't quite ready to make comparisons to that team, but so far, the evidence is pointing in the same direction.
At the very least, players realize just how far this team has come from last season.
"We're just more athletic and have a lot more talent this year than we did last year," Peters said.
Virginia Tech-bound
Pole vault standout Jess Huber will lead a handful of top competitors from the North Carroll indoor track team into next weekend's Virginia Tech Invitational, a prestigious annual meet featuring some of the region's elite track athletes.
Other participants from the Panthers include junior sprinter Alexis Hurd (55, 300), junior sprinter Katie Crumbaugh (500), freshman high jumper Amber Melville, and on the boys side, sophomore sprinter Chris Langowski (500).
Huber, a senior, may stand the best chance to medal. At last week's Monocacy Valley Athletic League meet, she vaulted 10 feet, 9 inches, just 3 inches shy of the top seed at the Virginia Tech meet.
"She's confident she's going to be doing 11 feet before the year is over," North Carroll coach Jim MacDonald said. "We wouldn't be surprised if she came out finishing toward the top."
The meet will take place just 10 days before North Carroll's regional meet -- something MacDonald hopes will give his athletes a leg up heading into the remainder of the postseason.
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