LYNN — The English girls basketball team took a major step forward last season.
A strong finish to the regular season gave the Bulldogs a hard-earned 10-9 record and the No. 13 seed in the Division 1 North state tournament. The Bulldogs were eliminated from the postseason after a loss at No. 4 Andover.
“I was really proud of the girls,” English coach Mackenzie Charles said. “They worked hard. We had to win our last four or five games on the road. They showed a lot of grit. We haven’t talked about last year too much. We’ve brought in a great mindset and we’re working hard. That’s something that has really impressed me with this group.”
English started preseason practices and Charles feels optimistic about what he’s seen thus far.
“Things are looking really good,” Charles said. “This is my fourth year so this senior group came in with me. Their freshman year was my first year. They’ve been working really hard. We’ve focused a lot on defense this first week. I think we’ll be really good defensively because we have some depth. We’ll lean on our girls to contribute and help us win games. We’ve worked really hard because we don’t have time to waste, and we haven’t to this point. We just have to continue that.”
More good news for the Bulldogs? They graduated just one senior, forward Pam Rosales, from last year’s roster. That means English returns an experienced that knows what it takes to qualify for the postseason.
It starts with senior co-captains Julianna Perry, a guard, and Jessica Ruiz, a forward.
“They’ve been doing a great job,” Charles said. “Julianna’s really the voice. She’s changed her leadership style a bit this year. She’s been very positive. Jessica’s also a great leader. She leads by example. She’s a hard worker. Now’s her time to really display all the hard work she’s put in.”
Seniors Maylin Echevarria (forward), Ravyn Rapley (forward), Mashayla Johnson (guard) and Stacy Abreu (center) also return.
“I haven’t had that luxury to this point,” Charles said of returning an experienced core. “I’m enjoying that so far this camp. We have a good group of sophomores. We don’t have a junior on the roster right now. We have freshmen and sophomores with the seniors. They’re gelling well right now. The seniors understand how big a part the underclassmen are to our success. They’ve done a great job getting them up to speed.”
Sophomores Kylia Reynoso (guard), Nia Sams (forward), Kelsey McNeil (guard) and Rosie Chhang (guard) are projected to play key minutes.
“They’re going to be huge,” Charles said. “As long as they can play defense, they’ll find time on the court. They’ll allow us to be deeper. I think I can really play 10-11 girls this season. With those three and some athletic freshmen, I think we’ll have a really good core together.”
Charles and his Bulldogs know nothing will come easy in the Northeastern Conference this season. They expect to be pushed to the brink, per usual, when taking the floor with conference opponents.
“It’s always a competitive league,” Charles said. “I think we have a good test our first game against Saugus. Beverly and Classical will always be tough. It’s girls basketball so every night you have to bring it. If we play defense the way we’ve practiced every night, I think that’ll put us in a position to compete and win games.”
English opens the season Thursday night (7) at Saugus.
“They team’s excited,” Charles said. “They’re happy that camp is actually short this year. I think the girls want to get to games. That’s not always the case as a coach. I see a lot of excitement in them, getting ready for a season. I give the senior group a lot of credit for helping bring our program to where it is. They’re all bought in and that’s always fun to see.
“It should be a fun season. As long as we continue to get better every day, I think we’ll have some success.”
