The Parkway South girls basketball team is opening the 22-23 season after ending last season with a 14-11 record. This season, the varsity team consists of 7 seniors. 

The Patriots’ leading scorer for last season was senior center Alivia McCulla. Currently, McCulla is only 19 points away from scoring 1,000 in her high school career. On Friday the Patriots face Parkway Central in the last game of the Linneman Tip-Off Tournament.

The seniors are bringing the energy and enthusiasm to compete for their final season, according to senior guard Annalise Dorr.

The seniors aren’t the only ones working though. Freshmen Ava Hill and Allison Koehrer are also making an impact on varsity.

“This is a new chapter of basketball for me, and I’m really excited about it,” said Hill.

The girls’ first game was against Parkway North for game one of the annual Linneman Tip-Off. The Patriots took the win 61-26 and the team held only 8 turnovers which left many good possessions. A week later, they won over Parkway West in the second game, 52-37.

“Focusing on the defensive end leads to offense which leads to scoring and success.” said Coach Thomas Williams. 

“This is going to be a really good season, especially in our conference. We have a strong team of girls that want to win,” said Dorr. 

On top of that, winning Districts is a box to check for the season. There is overall good competition and a lot of opportunities to show what the team is capable of. Even in preseason, they were successful in games and came into the season ready to build off of that energy, according to senior guard Emme Heimlich. 

“I’m looking forward to competing in districts because we have the ability to go far,” she said. 

There are five coaches this year for the Patriots: Coach Williams, Coach Mike Reinhardt, Coach Victor Fulgham, Coach Michelle Dempsey, and Coach Natalie Williams.

“Getting to know the players and working with great coaches is something I love about coaching,” said Williams. 

Dorr said she hopes the stands are packed this season for home games.

“We need South’s support this season and for everyone to come cheer us on and watch us win,” said Dorr.