Everyone has heard by now that the girls varsity basketball team this season is unbelievably good.

Coming into this season, people knew the girls team was going to be strong, but not this strong. They have played exceptionally in the beginning of the season by starting off undefeated. From what the team has done thus far, it seems like they cannot be stopped. Their confidence level right now must be at an all time high. Usually teams don’t talk about championships early in the season, but members on the team must have their eye on the prize. Here are five reasons why the Viking girls varsity basketball team is going to state this season.

1.The supportive community at Geneva games this season has been and will be outstanding. These girls have been playing with a big crowd every game so far this season. No matter where they go, there will be Blue Crue members, parents, and many more people cheering them on. The players feed off the energy from the crowd and can build momentum from the fans. When they go down to Illinois State this year, there’s sure to be tons of fans that can’t wait to be cheering on their Viking girls.

2.From the starters to the bench, they are stacked. Every girl on the roster can play ball. Obviously, losing a starter for a couple of games or the entire season would be horrible, but they have good bench play to fill that missing starting role. Every player has played in at least two games out of the five this season so far, which is impressive because they’ve easily defeated every opponent they have faced. The team is averaging a 35.8 point differential every game. If there’s a team that has Geneva on their schedule, they should just forfeit the game.

3.Their coach has been through it all. Coach Meadows had big shoes to fill when Coach Nolan stopped coaching the team in 2010. Nolan had a record of 130 wins and only 20 losses. From what everyone has seen so far, Meadows has done a great job the past six years. Coach Meadows has been in big games like state, super sectionals, and big conference matchups. She knows what to do in key situations and always comes in clutch. She’s been there and she’s done that.

4.The team has great veteran leadership. Three of the five starters right now have been starting on the varsity team since freshman year. Those three players are Margaret Whitley (Jr.), Stephanie Hart (Jr.), and Grace Loberg (Sr.).  Maddy Yelle (Jr.) started last year as a sophomore and is also a great asset. With four of the five starting players having this experience at the varsity level and having Coach Meadows by their side, it reminds me of the 2014 NBA champions San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs starting lineup was consisted of veterans like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and the coach Gregg Popovich. Let’s just connect the pieces. Veteran starters. Check. Veteran coach. Check. With all of these similarities, the girls basketball team is destined for a great result this season.

5.The girls have great young talent and they aren’t losing many seniors. Obviously, losing Grace Loberg will hurt, but they have juniors from the bench that can fill her spot. There are only four seniors on the team and out of all them Grace is on the court the most. This a junior-dominant team. Ten out of the fifteen players on the roster are juniors. Also there is one freshman on the team, Lindsay Blackmore, who gets some playing time off the bench. Give Blackmore some time and she’ll be a beast when it comes to her junior and senior year. Even though the team is going to miss their seniors next season, they still have a bright future.

Mark your calendars folks. The Geneva girls varsity basketball team has a date at the Redbird Arena on March 3rd and 4th.