Fillies are experienced, but still young

Young experience.

It sounds like an oxymoron and in most instances, it would be, but those two words explain exactly the type of team veteran Marian girls basketball coach Paul Brutto is working with this season.

The 2017 Fillies’ varsity roster is made up of five sophomores, three juniors, and just two seniors — meaning half of their roster is in just their second season of varsity basketball in the always-challenging Schuylkill League.

“You never want to have low numbers, but a positive from having low numbers last season was the fact that a lot of our young players gained experience and had to step up for us, and I think they did a nice job,” said Brutto. “I think that experience can help us this year. We’re still really young and we have a lot of work to do, but because the younger players got those varsity minutes last season, they’re not going to feel like they are being thrown into the fire this season.”

Leading the Fillies will be a youngster in sophomore Emily Schaud. Schaud finished her freshman season as the second-leading scorer for Marian, averaging just over 12 points per game. She also led the Fillies in three-point field goals with 33. Schaud will be counted on to not only score, but distribute, serving as the floor general for the young squad.

Helping out Schaud at the other guard spot will be veteran Giana Agosti (5.44 ppg.), who is just one of two seniors on the roster. For the Fillies to get back to the postseason, both Schaud and Agosti will need to serve as the engine that drives both Marian’s offense and defense.”

“We’re expecting good things from Emily and Giana, and truthfully we’re going to need even more from Emily this season,” said Brutto. “She had a great season as a freshman, and we’ll need her to continue that type of play for us. She has a major responsibility being our point guard, running our offense, while also getting others involved. She makes us go, that’s for sure.”

Marian does return the majority of its talent from last season, but the Fillies lost perhaps one of their more versatile players in recent memory in Brenna Karnish due to graduation. Karnish led the team in scoring (14 ppg.), set the tone defensively, and played multiple positions on the floor.

Brutto will be looking to a host of players to replace her production. Those replacements at the post positions certainly don’t lack size. Isabella Schwabe (3.04 ppg.) and Emma McClafferty (3.14 ppg.) both stand at 6-1 and will be looking to bring the same physicality and low-post scoring to the table that Karnish did last season.

“It’s not going to be just one person that will replace Brenna’s play from last season, it will take a couple of girls, and we’re hoping some of the younger girls, who saw some significant time, can step up and give us that,” said Brutto. “A good thing we’ve seen early on is that our post players are playing big. They’re using their bodies, getting position down low and making their presence felt.”

Senior Reese Erbe (1.89 ppg.) is expected to round out the starting five. Alexa Murray (Jr.), Macy Alansky (So.), Julia Kreisl (So.), Abbey Digris (So.), and Lindsey Reinoehl (So.) will also be counted on to make contributions.

Early in the season, with such a young team, one of Brutto’s main objectives will be to find not only who should be on the floor, but the right rotation of players as well.

“You’re always looking to have a five-to-eight-player rotation, and if we can find that then I’m cautiously optimistic we can be a pretty solid basketball team,” said Brutto. “We do have a great bunch of girls who are fun to coach, and what I like about them is that they’re willing to work.

“There’s no doubt we do have a lot of work to do, and we’re certainly not where we want to be. But I know the team is looking forward to getting out on the floor, and I’m anxious to see what they can do.”