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By MIKE MATHISON
WINTERSVILLE -- It's all new for the Indian Creek girls' basketball team and new head coach Jackie Rossi.
"We have a kit if quick players, we need to utilize that strength. How we're going to utilize that strength -- we're not really sure yet.
"We have a couple of tall kids, too, but I would say we're more guard-dominated."
The Redskins will be led by seniors Kaitlyn Whitaker, Madison Smith and Hallie Schmitt. Whitaker and Smith are three-year letter winners and Schmitt has two letters.
"It's nice to have those seniors. They're good kids. They're smart kids. They're hard workers. It has to be frustrating being a senior and you have a new coach and you have to learn everything in a new way. I haven't see any of that frustration out of them on the court. They've been willing to learn and been real supportive of the younger kids."
Rossi also has juniors Rachel Cooper, Beyonce Dudley and Jocelyn Mattern.
"It's how quickly we can get comfortable with the system we're putting in. Early on there are going to be some bumps. While other coaches are perfecting things, we are learning things. That's the learning curve we are faced with, but that's the nature of it."
Nine sophomores dot the roster in Taylor Scott, Haylie Scott, Mackenzie Orban, Mimi Beatty, Ashley Yaich, Alyssa Merriman, Kacie Vandeborne, Ally Bevilacqua and Tera Parrish.
"We have a really nice mix of kids. Even though we have some experience coming back, they're all learning from square one with the system that we're putting in."
Rounding out the players are freshmen Sloane Lewis, Aiamyia Dudley, Autumn Foust, Harley Rothacker and Ally Tweedy.
Rossi said the coaching staff has spend a lot of time on fundamentals.
"Tall or not, you still have to do the right things in boxing out," she said.
"We need to be pushed to our limit (in scrimmages) to see how good we are -- or how bad we are -- and what we need to do to improve."