By Lauren Gustafson

After facing a devastating cancellation of their 2021 season and the dramatic postponement of their early games this year, the Mt. Hebron girls basketball program faced a lot of uncertainty. With the graduation of all upperclassmen and little knowledge of their roster outside of the few sophomores who were previously on the team, the fate of their success was questionable. 

Before the 2022 season started, sophomore Leen Jawhar was pessimistic about the team’s ability to form chemistry with so few returners. “I didn’t know how basketball would be this year, especially on varsity because there were so few returners. It was tough at first because we didn’t know each other very well,” they said.

Come tryouts it was evident that there would be few issues regarding this concern. Jawhar said, “We definitely turned it around on the court when we became so close as a team. We’re all friends so it helps us to connect better when we’re playing.”

Despite initial concerns, the young team’s progression has been evident throughout their season’s successes. Midseason they are 9-2, citing losses only to the front runners River Hill and Howard. 

“We definitely had a lot of successes and I’m proud of how we progressed as a team since the first day,” Jawhar continued. 

Their increasing talent and hard work has been evident to fans as well as opponents, and despite county policy limiting the number of fans in attendance at games, those who have witnessed their play have been enthusiastic about their abilities 

Junior Aidan Cydylo, after witnessing their win vs. Oakland Mills, reported “the team seemed to work really well together! I could tell from the stands that they had bonds off the court that helped them do better and put off another win.”

With more games remaining in this transformative season, this team is set to continue its path toward a winning record with a hopefully successful run in the off season.