The Black and White

by Emilia Koopman

As the winter sports season begins, the Pilgrim girls’ basketball team starts off strong in division 3, with a record of 5-1 in games. The team has a strong coaching staff this year including Kait Rachiele as head coach, Daniel Pietrantonio as assistant coach, and Darren Cipriano volunteering as a coach. 

After losing a bunch of seniors last year, the team has shrunk a little in size but is thriving in their division. So far, the team this year has stepped up its game, going from finishing in 10th place last year to standing in 3rd place right now. Coach Rachiele has the goals of getting the players to work together and be stronger as a team ultimately leading to her final goal of making it to playoffs after being close to making them last year. Rachiele feels excited about this season and is confident in her team based on the chemistry of the team and the players’ skills, especially on defense in practice. 

Rachiele’s love for coaching high school basketball goes beyond just the sport. She exclaims her favorite part is “not only seeing the players become better players but young ladies as well, and just watching them grow each year.” She hopes that the improved communication the team has on and off the court, which was lacking in previous seasons will make the team stronger.

 With the middle of the season slowly approaching, the basketball team seems to be very strong and thriving in their division. Keeping up the way they are playing will hopefully be enough for this team to make it to playoffs in the 2024-2025 season.