Plains Trotters step up to the competition

PLAINS – The Trotters defeated Eureka 50-22 with a solid all-round effort Saturday night. The girls really stepped up and fought to insure the win.

According to Head Coach Griffin, Hailey Phillips was out with tonsillitis. In addition, three of the starters had to sit out in the third quarter due to foul trouble. The Trotters might have been in trouble if not for three girls who rose to the occasion.

“At one point I had three starters not on the court but the other girls really stepped up and played,” he said.

Coach Griffin said Jade LaDeaux had her first real varsity minutes and did very well. Two other girls also did well.

“Carly Vonheeder played with a lot of effort. She never gave up and I really appreciated that and Kayla Holmes is getting better every week,” he said.

Although the Trotters were triumphant and their effort good, there is more Coach Griffin is eager to improve on. The two big things on the list are decision-making and communication.

“We need to make better decisions on whom to pass to in order to open things up. That will help us quite a bit,” he said. “Communication is always a big thing. They need to talk and talk louder.”

Despite the list of things to improve on, Coach Griffin is pleased with the girls.

“I am extremely proud. I have a young team that is playing at the varsity level and playing well. I am very proud of that,” he said.

The Trotters were undefeated until their heart-breaking game against Loyola Friday night. They lost by a single point with a final score of 36-37.

“It was out first loss of the season. It came down to the wire. We had a last second shot that was so close,” Coach Griffin said.

Although the loss was a difficult one to swallow, Coach Griffin views it as a learning experience.

“Loyola was better than us that night, but now we know what Loyola is about,” he said.

According to Coach Griffin, nerves got the better of the girls that night. They need to believe in themselves and their talent more.

“If we have more confidence we will be a heck of a team. I think they will have a chance to compete with a lot of teams,” he said.

Next week the Trotters will face Thompson Falls and Hot Springs. Coach Griffin is eager to see how the girls will do against the Lady Hawks.

“I think it will be a good challenge for the girls. It’s a chance to see exactly where we are and what we need to do for the rest of the season,” he said.

Coach Griffin anticipates there will be an intense atmosphere during the game against the Lady Savage Heat.

“Any time you play a county team emotions are high and everyone wants to play their best,” he said.

The Trotters are sure to give it their best this week. Coach Griffin thinks the team continues to show improvement each week and the rest of the season should be a good time.

“They are young and have nothing to lose so they need to just go out there and have fun,” he said.