Maidens find their footing

    This year Head Coach Bryan Branch has one senior he recruited because of her speed, Maddie Workmon, because he believes her fastness is needed on the Maiden basketball team.
    "She (Maddie) has a great attitude and I appreciate all she is doing," he said. "We need Sierra Salazar and Cheyenne Galindo to have big years for us to be successful, they both have been on varsity for three years and now as juniors they are no longer the role player, but have to pick up the scoring as well as being the leaders. Sierra has done a great job of being the point guard. It's not just in games, but in practice explaining things to her teammates on the side."
    The Maidens began practicing when the volleyball season was over and Branch said he's really been enjoying coaching this group. As a young team he's making sure a lot of teaching is being done that may not normally be executed at a varsity level and in response the girls have been making a great effort to learn the game.
    "Sometimes the best way to learn something is to just jump right in. Basketball shows you how to be both physically and mentally tough, it takes a certain level of commitment to play," Branch said. "There are going to be times in life when things get tough and the easy thing is to quit or follow the crowd. These girls have bonded together and are dedicated to each other."
    He said the team still has a long way to go to get better, and their success may not be measured in wins or losses, depending on how quickly the team improves mentally and physically.
    "If we continue to strive to get better every day and every game, if we handle adversity with class and dignity, and if we say we left every ounce of sweat we had on the court each and every night, then our season will be successful.
    "Like in life, you cannot just quit and walk away from your job, or kids, or any responsibility you might have. So no matter what happens this season, no matter how many wins or losses we have, I will always respect these girls for making the sacrifices they did to play basketball this season," Branch said.
    Salazar said the team did start the season with a loss against Wharton. “Yes, as a player you want to strive to win all of your games, but personally I think it was a good thing we lost against them. Our loss is showing the team this season isn’t going to be easy and we have to work extra hard,” she said. “The team is getting along really well, we all understand each other and we all want the same thing. Everyday that passes you can see the progress of the team.”