This season is shaping up to be a good one for girls basketball here at The Hall. Since early October the Charger women have been preparing. With a new head coach, a returning record breaker, several talented freshmen, and lots of Charger Pride the team is looking forward to some great games on the court this winter. 

Many teams at Heritage Hall launch into their preseason well before the actual season begins, girls basketball is not different. Workouts began in late September, as the team put hours into practicing their technique and also improving their fitness. 

Freshman Katerina Chrysant reflects on the team's preseason practices, "Coach Cassell made sure we were ready by implementing an optional 'skills practice' every Wednesday leading up to the first official day of practice. He takes a great amount of time and effort to get to know us and he really cares for all of his players. He is an amazing coach who is committed to helping us get better every day as basketball players and as people."

A month into the regular season, the crew has now competed in multiple games. Their first game was on December 3rd against 5A #4 Ardmore at the Carl Albert Festival where they came up short in a close game. In the second day of the Festival, the Chargers played hard against 5A #6 Carl Albert, but was unable to defeat the Titans. Although these two losses were not the outcomes the team was hoping for, it is helpful to consider that both opponents were from significantly larger school districts. Already playing up one class due to the OSSAA 'success rule' for private schools, the Chargers' performance in both contests was still really solid. 

The Hall returned to a home court advantage in the Boghetich Gym on December 8 for a showdown against 3A Community Christian. The first half was a little rocky, but the team pulled together around half time to take a well-deserved win over the Royals with a score of 41-37. The victory is the first of hopefully many wins this winter. This was the first home game of the season, and even amid the pandemic, a limited number of fans were fortunate enough to attend. This was a great game for the Chargers and a nice stepping stone for the rest of the season to come. 

The Seth Wadley Power Promise Player of the Game on ChargerVision was freshman Lainey Portman, who broke down the win in her postgame interview.

"We started the game with no energy and a bad mentality, but at halftime Coach Cassell gave us a little bit of a talking to and told us that we needed to start playing like us! Going back into the game we were locked in both defensively and offensively and the whole atmosphere of the gym shifted, giving us the extra boost of energy to win the game."

This year there is a new addition to the program. Parker Cassell '11 is new to coaching Charger girls basketball; however, as an alumni he knows what Heritage Hall basketball is all about. Cassell exudes a lot of excitement in regards to the future of the team. 

"This really is a dream job for me. I love Heritage Hall, and I think it took some time away from this place for me to realize how special it is to me. We have awesome, well-rounded kids who are very coachable and eager to learn. I am very grateful for all of the support offered to me by our students, families, and faculty. To be at this school, in charge of this program, with such high-quality kids – I could not ask for much more than that. We have already improved a great deal over the course of this year. Like everyone else, we have battled through COVID-19 restrictions and mandates, including a two-week quarantine before our first game. However, this group has responded well to every challenge presented to them. I expect us to continue to get better throughout the season and be really competitive through January, February, and March."

Sophomore Annie Walker, an All State and Little All-City Honorable Mention selection last year, explains what she thinks Coach Cassell has brought to the team this year, "Coach Cassell is a great coach and has really [made his mark on the] women's basketball program at Heritage Hall. I am very fortunate that I get to play for such a talented and committed coach." 

The team's leading scorers are Portman (12.7 per game) and Macy Moore (12.3 per game), the all-time career, single-season, and single-game three point shooter in Charger history. Portman is also leading the Chargers in rebounding (6.0 per game). Sophomore Lucille Sullivan is filling up the 'hustle stats' with a team-high 4 assists and 4 steals in just 3 games, while Annie Walker has protected the paint with 6 blocked shots at this young stage of the season. Lainey Gray took two charges in the win over Community Christian.

Charger Athletics is known for achieving the gold standard. This Charger girls basketball team definitely aspires to meet that expectation. With a great early season in the books, a talented and young group of athletes, and a new coach leading the way, this winter will be one to watch for this group. The squad is heading towards yet another phenomenal season. Up next for Coach Cassell and the Charger women is a trip to the Duncan Holiday Classic on December 28-30.

Onward, Chargers!

Written by Addy Toll '24
Photos by Kimberly Richelle