Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Haley Svrcina has been a major reason Athens hasn’t skipped a beat this year. The junior has filled in perfectly for the team after three-year point guard Megan Swiderski graduated.

By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

TROY — On paper, there are a few things that should be working against the Red Hawks girls basketball team.

The team has a roster of just nine girls; it operates without a senior in the starting lineup; and it plays in one of the toughest conferences in the state.

But the Red Hawks consider depth to be a strength, don’t play like a young team and have thrived against tough competition.

“I guess I’m still trying to figure out just how good we can be,” coach Dave Scott laughed. “But so far, things have gone pretty well. I knew we’d be competitive when the year began. The important thing, knock on wood, is that we’ve stayed healthy.”

At press time, Athens had won eight of their last nine games and was 9-3 overall, 5-1 in the Oakland Activities Association Red Division, and tied with Rochester Hills Stoney Creek.

“We’re really just trying to take things one game at a time,” said Scott. “We’ve played very good team basketball. Everyone has contributed.”

The biggest contribution has come from the defense, which is surrendering just 38 points per game while the offense pours in 46.

“We’ve won some tight games,” Scott said. “I think that’s helped us grow and come together.”

“The dynamic of this team is pretty strong, and that’s fueled a lot of what we’ve been able to do,” said junior guard Haley Svrcina. “We knew we’d be small, and we knew we wouldn’t have a ton of girls, so we’ve just found a way to come together and make the most of this.”

Svrcina has been a major reason Athens hasn’t skipped a beat since last year’s 15-8 record, mainly because she’s played a hand in making sure the leadership on the court hasn’t changed much, if at all.

When the 2008-09 season ended, four-year varsity player and three-year point guard Megan Swiderski graduated, creating a missing piece in the flow of the offense and the overall leadership of the team.

Svrcina has fit perfectly into that void.

“She’s played better than I thought she would entering the year,” Scott admitted. “But she’s like almost everyone else on this team in the fact we may be young as far as grade level, but everybody has at least a year of varsity experience under their belt.”

“I was pretty nervous when the season began,” Svrcina said. “As time has gone on, I’ve gotten more comfortable in my role and with my job.”

So while the success thus far has been somewhat of a surprise, the Red Hawks are going to run with it.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position to win the league, so that’s the focus,” Scott said. “Beyond that, well, it’s been a long time since Athens won a district.”

You can reach Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1038.