photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Sophomore Avery Lonnberg gaurds a Free State assistant coach during a practice at Free State High School.

The Free State girls basketball team has been relatively young for the past two seasons. Freshmen became starters and were placed in leading roles on the team. The team was thrown into the fire and had to figure it out.

This year, it’s a different story. The team relies upon its junior and sophomore classes, which entered the season with experience. There won’t be moments when the team is unfamiliar with the situation. Instead, they know what to do.

“Last year, we had a lot of tough battles,” coach Summer Frantz said. “We’re finally at a point where most of our returners know what it’s like to play in the Sunflower League. You have to bring it not just every game but every possession, or you will get scored on.”

The team brought some lessons from last year. They found that their success directly correlated to their effort. When they hustled, they got better results.

The team has focused on that lesson for the 2024-25 season. Frantz said the most important thing for the team is to compete, no matter the situation or score. The Firebirds don’t have the height that some of the other teams in the league have, meaning they have to get wins through competitive effort.

Energy and effort have shown up in practices. The Firebirds want to be a team that can run their opponents out of the gym in transition. If they set the pace, they can shape the game how they want it to go.

“We’ve talked a lot about getting out and going in transition,” Frantz said. “We don’t have a lot of size, but we have some athleticism. Everybody is a shooter. Everybody (needs to) be ready to shoot.”

The Firebirds have shown that through their first few games of the season. On Tuesday against Junction City, the team fell behind 15 points at halftime. The Firebirds clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter, primarily on defense. Traps and other defensive maneuvers led to more scoring opportunities on offense. Players hit their shots, and the Firebirds made it a game. Even though the team lost 49-47, the comeback showed its potential when using its athleticism.

Going forward, the Firebirds need to avoid a deficit like the one they had on Tuesday. But the team accomplished a goal set before the season in that Junction City loss. They set out to compete in every possession and to not let some quarters impact others. The Firebirds didn’t allow a slow first half to affect their second half.

The team has worked on and improved communication, which can fix some of the errors that the team made on Tuesday. Frantz said everyone being on the same page can fix a lot of issues.

The upperclassmen and the experienced players on the team have led that. Since the summer, communication has been noticeably better than previous years. Junior Addie Fulscher and senior Chloe Clossen are two of the team’s top players who have helped the team improve its communication.

“I think as long as we are keeping a good mindset and being loud, most people follow after that,” Clossen said.

The two have been leaders for the team for several years now, and Fulscher has been the team’s starting point guard since her freshman season. They have learned as leaders that the communication and effort starts with them, and that it’s up to those experienced players to get the team rolling.

Free State has one more game before the team takes a break through the new year. It’s one final tune-up before the season enters its January stretch of contests. From January on, the season will depend on the team’s ability to outhustle its opponent.