Lake Oconee Academy girls’ basketball hit the gym earlier this summer and prepared for the upcoming season.
The Lady Titans spent nearly three weeks together last month. They practiced, worked out, and even attended the Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp, where they scrimmaged a few teams, hoping to get better.
LOA girls’ coach Savannah Soles was pleased with her players’ overall effort and attendance. More than a dozen players showed up, most of whom were multi-sport athletes, and she appreciated their dedication to the team.
“I had most of my girls there all summer. We had some in-house practices with just us, working on getting better, and then we played a scrimmage game with Oglethorpe County,” Soles said. “We showed each other different defenses, allowing us to work on various things. We didn’t keep score, but we made each other better. We benefited from that scrimmage and ended our summer at FCA camp. We enjoyed the experience together.”
LOA is coming off another successful season, winning 20 games for the fifth consecutive year. The Lady Titans also won a region championship but, unfortunately, were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
LOA will be young next season, with only two seniors returning: Mary Claire McCommons and Briana Glave. However, Soles saw a few flashes of excellence from several returning players during the summer session.
“Summer is super important, especially for our younger girls. It allowed them to get minutes and rotate in and out,” Soles said. “Getting everybody varsity experience was important because we will have a young team this year.”
Lake Oconee Academy will be without two program staples this upcoming season: Georgia Bosart and Jane Monachello. The two Lady Titans made a significant impact before graduating and will be hard to replace.
Soles believes several of her returning players, including McCommons, Glave, and others, will step up in their place.
“It’s been different [without them], especially because they’ve been a core part of the program for a long time. They’ve been excellent both on and off the court,” Soles said. “You miss Jane because of her defensive edge and the energy she brought on that side of the ball. But Mary Claire [McCommons] has stepped up this summer and spearheaded that for us. She will be a senior, and a player other teams must watch out for. She’s been a role player for us the past couple of years because we’ve had so many big names, but she has been very valuable, and I expect her to be big-time for us this year.
“As far as point guard goes, we’re missing our best floor general in Georgia, but some younger girls are stepping into that role. Whether it be Ansleigh Padgett or Brianna [Glave], we’re still trying to work that out. They will both have to handle the ball in different situations. I think they are ready for the role. We will look very different this year, but I am excited about what we have: an energized young group. We look to continue the tradition of our program.”
Most of her players participate in fall sports so that the team won’t practice this fall, but Soles is ready for the season.
“We grew up a lot together this summer,” Soles said. “We’ll have to believe we can learn to play together, especially with passing, dribbling, shooting, and playing defense [as a unit]. It will be a total team effort this year.”