NTL GIRLS BASKETBALL: ATHENS' MILLER HAVING FUN GETTING LADY WILDCATS READY FOR 2021-22 SEASON (14 PHOTOS) (2021-11-22)
BY TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportATHENS - Athens girls basketball coach Brian Miller is having fun getting his team ready for the 2021-22 season.
"It's fun to be back," he said. "The girls are glad to be back playing, where i's meaningful. It's not the summer stuff, where you're trying to make yourself better individually and be competitive.
"Now, we're trying to get focused on what we need to do to get better as a team to get ready for the season," Miller added.
Miller said his numbers are adequate.
"We have 16 out right now for JV and varsity, including a couple that showed up today.
"It's actually a good mix," said Miller. "We have a solid varsity group, we have a solid JV group, and then a couple kids who will play both. It will be a good mix for both teams."
Miller also has some new blood on his coaching staff.
"Bob Stowits and I had been together for many years, from Waverly to here, but he hung it up after last year," said Miller. "Dan Lane is my new JV coach. He brings a different intensity and a very good knowledge of the game."
Kevin Wheeler and Austin Lane will serve as assistant coaches, and recent Athens grad Rachel Stephens, a student at Mansfield, is also helping out as a volunteer assistant.
Miller was pleased with his team's offseason.
"We had a good summer," he said. "We played a lot of summer league games, ones we scheduled, not as part of a summer league. We also played at Penn College team camp for a day, where we played teams we don't normally see our normal schedule like Loyalsock and South Williamsport.
"We got a good look at a lot of our girls this summer, and it gave us a good idea of what we can do, and what we cant't do," added Miller.
Athens will host Odessa-Montour in a scrimmage on Nov. 30, then travel to Montoursville on Dec. 2.
The Lady Wildcats open the regular season at home Dec. 13 against Blue Ridge.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens senior Caydence Macik. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
