The Montclair High School girls basketball team is moving up this season to the Super Essex Conference Colonial Division but hopes to have similar success this winter with a more seasoned roster.
The Mounties took home a share of the SEC Independence Division crown with Irvington as both teams split the season series.
Last season the Montclair High School girls’ basketball team finished with a record of 16-10, but lost in the first round of the state playoffs.
Despite the first round state ouster, the Mounties had a solid season, a feat all the more impressive when examining their roster. Out of 14 players rostered, nine of them were underclassmen who will all be returning for this upcoming season.
After gaining valuable experience on the court, and working hard off it, the Mounties head into the season boasting a veteran roster. Montclair looks to use its experience and physical advantage to gain the upper hand.
“The key to success for us is going to be physicality,” said head coach Edward Connell. “For the last two years, we have paid our dues in playing freshmen and sophomores on the floor against juniors and seniors. When we look around the gym now, we have solid senior basketball players and a robust junior and sophomore class. I am excited to watch this team blossom into realizing they now have the upper hand physically.”
One important player returning for the Mounties is junior forward Savannah Seawell who has been named a captain. Seawell’s rebounding ability has landed her seventh overall statewide for rebounds by an active player.
Senior guard Liz Giordano, a Villanova lacrosse commit, is also expected to play a major role for the Mounties. Then there is senior forward Taylor Yi whose leadership led to her being named captain with Seawell.
“[Taylor Yi] is the glue to our program, contributing all over the floor from rebounding, passing, and inbounding,” said Connell. “Taylor is also a captain for us and has set the tone in defining our culture as a program.”
Seawell, Giordano, and Yi are all expected to start. Connell expects to fill the other two starting five positions by rotating several players based primarily on matchups. Juniors Eva Brennan, Roxanna Halabyand, and Shai Uzell; as well as sophomores Anna O’Keefe, and Carla Osborne are all names that are expected to contribute, however, Connell is comfortable playing any player on the roster.
Connell’s confidence stems from the culture that exists throughout the team. Conell points to the team’s effort both on and off the court as a key characteristic that can help Montclair gain an edge over their opponents.
“I am absolutely blessed to coach a group of kids who come to work every day in the gym. They compete and get better every single day and have shown a coachability that is rare for a group of high school athletes. Better yet, we have quality young women in our program. I would put our academic and interpersonal qualities against any program in the state.”
The Mounties hope their experience can help them navigate their tough schedule and the Colonial division. Montclair created their schedule with the intent of offering challenging games to hopefully boost their program by playing tougher competition.
“In SEC Basketball, all the games are challenging,” said Connell. “We built a schedule this year full of quality opponents, which reflects how we feel about our program. We believe that we belong on the floor competing with Colonial and Liberty division schools and hope to be in a ton of competitive games. As with any change, there have been some growing pains, but we are making changes that we think will make us more competitive with a higher class of opponents.”
As the season draws near, it’s time for Connell and the Mounties to focus on the finer points. A crucial detail is fully understanding the game plan to the point where the team can simply react during a game.
“Our focus this year has been on connectivity within our systems, ” said Connell. “We want to be a team that truly plays together, moves the ball, and defends collectively. The next step for us is to be a team that has five bodies but one collective mind that sees the game similarly.”
Montclair opens their season against Newark East Side at home on December 14 (7 p.m.).
Montclair Girls Basketball Schedule
(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)
Dec. 14 East Side, 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 at Newark Tech, 1 p.m.
Dec. 18 at West Morris Central
Dec. 19 Payne Tech
Dec. 21 at Verona
Dec. 27 Union at Scotch Plains, 10 a.m.
Dec. 29 TBD, Scotch Plains, TBD
Jan. 4 at Livingston
Jan. 9 MKA
Jan. 11 at Millburn
Jan. 13 Orange, Noon
Jan. 16 at East Side
Jan. 18 Newark Tech, 7 p.m.
Jan. 20 Essex County Tournament, TBD
Jan. 22 Essex County Tournament, TBD
Jan. 23 at Payne Tech
Jan. 25 Essex County Tournament, TBD
Jan. 26 at Glen Ridge
Jan. 30 Verona
Feb. 1 Livingston, 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 Nutley, 1 p.m.
Feb. 6 at MKA
Feb. 8 Millburn, 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 Cedar Grove, 1 p.m.
Feb. 13 West Side
Feb. 17 at West Essex, 11 a.m.