Clarke Central High School girls varsity basketball guard Alexandra Ozuna, a junior, prepares to pass the ball during their 2023-24 season game against Union Grove High School in the CCHS Competition Gym on Jan. 27. The Gladiators held tryouts for the 2024-25 season on Oct. 21 and have begun preparation for their season. “This year, if we can limit our turnovers and play solid defense and put emphasis (on) our defense, I think we’ll have a successful year,” head girls varsity basketball coach Carla Johnson said. Photo by Wyatt Meyer
Tryouts for the 2024-25 girls varsity basketball season were held on Oct. 21 as the team begins the road to the state playoffs.
The girls varsity basketball 2024-25 season has kicked off after tryouts were held on Oct. 21. The team has now begun preparing for their season with the goal of breaking into the 2024-25 GHSA AAAAA Girls State Basketball Championship.
During the 2023-24 season, the Gladiators finished with a 9-14 overall record and a 5-7 Region 8-AAAAA record, leaving them ranked fourth in the region. This season, varsity girls basketball head coach Carla Johnson hopes to improve the team’s record and continue past the Region 8-AAAAA tournament to the state level.
“Last year, we were in a tough, very competitive region on the girls’ side, but I still felt like we could have made it (to state),” Johnson said. “But (it’s a) new year, (there’s) new expectations and I’m feeling good about our returners. I feel confident that we (can) make it this year.”
“We’ve got so many (players) coming back, now they’re understanding the principles of our defense and what we’re trying to achieve. I think (that) puts us at a higher level,”
— Carla Johnson,
CCHS varsity girls basketball head coach
CCHS sophomore Justice Monroe played as a combo guard for the varsity team last season and tried out again. With state playoffs in mind, Monroe hopes to emphasize consistency in both her in-game performance and her work outside of basketball, such as through lifting weights.
“Consistency is important because it is a main (factor) in basketball. Making sure my (shot) is consistent (and) my defense is consistent leads to me helping my team win,” Monroe said.
For Johnson, the team’s returning players this season give her confidence that her desire to make the state championship tournament will become a reality.
“We’ve got so many (players) coming back, now they’re understanding the principles of our defense and what we’re trying to achieve. I think (that) puts us at a higher level,” Johnson said. “They’ve had a solid year together learning (everything), so this year, we (are) ready to take that next step to make state.”
