Rams' Girls' Basketball Wins Cheshire's Heart

After her team lost , Cheshire girls basketball coach Sarah Mik still said she had a lot of confidence in her talented albeit young group of players.

She expected them to develop quickly and start reaching their potential as a team that could get back into contention for its league race and qualify for the state tournament after an off-year.

Cheshire had a recent history of controlling the Southern Connecticut Conference Housatonic Division with three Division titles in the past four years, but in 2009-10 the team went 5-15 and didn't qualify for the CIAC Class LL tournament.

 Mik was right. Although the team has had some ups and downs it has been competitive in almost all its games, including most of its losses. The Rams dominated league play to win the Housatonic Division title with a 6-1 record and clinched a Class LL berth in late January by winning their eighth game. Despite a mini-slump in the past week —three losses, one to No. 1 Mercy-Middletown — Mik said her team, which is 9-10 with one regular season game left, is realizing its potential.

"Our first goal was getting back to the state tournament and the SCC (tournament)," Mik said. "Once they reached that to win the Housy is big for them, too. It's four out of the last six years. It's a couple of goals that Cheshire kids put on (themselves). It doesn't matter what sport they play.

"We're in a slump right now. This is the time when teams should be peaking and we're trying to find ourselves offensively right now because we're trying to get a higher seed (in the Class LL tournament). Where other teams are trying to fight to get in the SCCs and the states, we're just trying to better our seed. We're hoping for a home game (in both tournaments). We hit a little bump. But with our leadership, we'll be fine."

The team's leadership revolves around the team's only seniors, Julia Strobel and Lauren Gilmore.

"Everything always starts with your leaders," said Mik. "We have two seniors on our team who've been excellent leaders. It doesn't always come down to wins and losses for them. They want to treat it like a family atmosphere and have done just that." 

"From day one, we definitely improved each practice," Strobel said. "We build each practice, once we work on one thing we move on to the next and we keep it together. We just keep building off each other

"We need a voice, so I help tell people what to do. And keep sportsmanship and the team together as a close bond. We have good chemistry on and off the court. It's actually a lot of fun (working with younger players). We have definitely been the closest of all my four years. Usually we have an older varsity team. Everyone's trying to get used to (a younger team). So the comfort level of each person, we have to make them feel comfortable. That's been working."

Cheshire's two seniors have taken different paths toward leadership roles with the Rams.

"(Julia Strobel)'s been with the program for three years," said Mik. "She's our leading scorer and rebounder. She plays with so much heart and brings that heart to the rest of the team. Lauren Gilmore, came back to us this year and brings the fight and desire. Sometimes it's hard to leave and then come back and fit into team chemistry, but she has. It's been a nice addition having her back."

"We just all really get along on and off the court and I feel that's what's really important," said Gilmore, who went to school last year at Cheshire Academy.

Strobel agrees.

"We have a really close bond," said Strobel. "We know how each other works. We trust each other, so that really helps. This year I feel like the team has been the closest and with a young team it's important for us to be good leaders."

Despite the recent slump, Mik believes Cheshire will be ready for the SCCs, which start on Thursday with first-round games at the higher seeds' home court. And she knows what traits her team has to show to be successful in the postseason.

"You have to handle pressure because now teams are throwing a lot of different junk at you," Mik said. "And you need leadership. You need kids to step up and be consistent and you need those kids off the bench to provide sparks." 

For showing such "heart" on the court, Happy Valentine's Day from the Cheshire Patch!