As winter sports approach, the Madison Girls Basketball team prepares for a season of unfinished business. Coming off of a very successful season last year, and losing a couple prominent roles is difficult, but the Dodgers are using that pressure to show they have what it takes.
With 2 back to back losses to Manasquan in the state finals, the Girls Basketball team has had their fair share of championship experiences. This year, the roster has adapted for the younger players, and they have to step into bigger roles than years prior. This ability to fill in different roles is what makes Madison such a well rounded team.
Head Coach DiTuro has emphasized the importance of defense for the Dodgers, and mentioned how “defense is [their] trademark” she also went on to stress the “level it takes to play Madison Dodger defense”. With a lot of new freshmen entering the program it was very important to demonstrate the expectation that is expected of them.
With just 1 senior this year, the Dodgers are planning to create a foundation for the next couple of years. As current upperclassmen graduate, the young varsity athletes will have had plenty of game experience, which will hopefully translate into more wins for the program.
Not only is the defense strong, but the offense is also a very strong aspect of their game. With 2 returning varsity starters, one of them being a leading point scorer for the Dodgers, they are sure to strengthen their skills in the time before the opening game.
Another thing that Head Coach Dituro mentioned in an interview was that they “hope to win the conference this year” and they are “excited to compete this year”. This season marks a very different page in Madison Girls Basketball book, especially after losing some very important roles, but hopefully will lead to a very successful outcome in the long run.