Pfingster reflects on Ramette hoop season
Under new head coach Adam Pfingstler, the Johnsonburg Ramettes finished 6-16 - a win more than last season. It's the fourthstraight year not qualifying for the playoffs, but the coach feels the young team that included 14 underclassmen is headed in the right direction.
"People will look at our record and see 6-16, and those outside the gym that don't see these girls work hard every day, will say that's a bad season, but I don't think it was," the coach said. "Sure, we would have liked to have won more, but the girls did whatever I asked and never complained. There was a lot of improvement from day one."
Eleven losses were to six teams with legitimate shots at District 9 titles. Three were to Ridgway (13-9) and two to Elk County (21-3) in Class A. Other losses to playoff teams in the class were to North Clarion (19-4), Port Allegany (18-3), and DuBois Central Catholic (12-10). Class 4A St. Marys (18-6) beat them twice, and 2A Coudersport (15-6) defeated them.
The Ramettes were dealt a significant blow when senior Annasophia Stauffer could only play in five games due to injury. The other seniors were Emma Myers and Ella Lindberg, an AML All-Star. Underclassman included juniors Cadence Brechtel and Maria Casilio, sophomores Natalie Dunworth, Zoey Grunthaner, Ally Notarianni, Kendra Freeman, Aliza Jackson, and freshmen Gianna Zimmerman, Mya Allegretto, Tessa McCabe, Ella Halquist, Jenna Johnson, Brook Santoro, and Ronnie Shall.
"Missing Anna was huge," said the coach. "If you look at it, that's 15 points being taken out of the lineup. That's a void, especially if you add it to ten or so points from Ella."
Pfingstler praised the consistency of Myers and her "sneaky good shooting and great attitude."
He knows the contributions from the seniors this season will not be unnoticed.
"Once things get turned around, and people look back, they'll see the hand Anna, Ella, and Emma played in it. They played hard and were looked up to. Those three pushed the other girls in the right direction, and I'm thankful they were here for my first year."
The coach loved how Casilio adapted to the point guard position which she had never played before.
"We gave Maria freer rein the last 10 games, and she did a great job as the general out there."
Brechtel, who hit six three-pointers in a game with Ridgway, has developed into a game-changer.
"Cadence is quieter and leads by her play," Pfingstler said. "Towards the end, she gained more confidence shooting and will only gain more. The other girls feed off that, so having her back will be huge."
Dunworth stepped into the starting lineup for Stauffer. Her coach couldn't be more pleased with her development.
"Natalie is one heck of a player. You're going to be hard-pressed to find a better defensive player. We assigned her to guard some tough players, and she did the job. She also started finding an offensive punch and has become a well-rounded player."
Pfingstler feels a year under their belt will pay dividends for sophomores Grunthaner, Notarianni, and Freeman. Unfortunately, sophomore Jackson was lost for the season with a thumb injury. He also looks for continued from the freshmen.
"Zoey probably has the biggest heart on the team, and Ally is turning into a good ball handler that can shoot. As the season went on, the girls all picked up on things and were better able to react to situations on the floor. They learned a lot fundamentally and have a strong drive to get better. And you could see it at practice against the varsity girls, especially the freshmen."
Drew Akers and Kyler Breaky were assistants.
"I'll admit there are things I would do differently during games, so I was learning along with the girls. But Drew and Kyler were great to be around and were able to point things out that you don't see as a head coach. We communicate well; their input is essential, so we make a good team."
The coach is thankful for the support from the administration and a great feeder program. He was especially grateful for the contributions of former head coach Sue Grumley, who now helps at the junior high level.
"I was in touch with
Sue during the transition, and I can't say enough about how much she helped," Pfingstler said.
Gina Schreiber also coached at the Junior high level, and Corey McCabe and Danny Cherry at the elementary level.
"They did a great job, and I really want to give them credit because they did a phenomenal job with the girls," said the coach.
Pfingstler's hiring was in July, so he's happy having an entire offseason with the returners and newcomers.
"I'm looking forward to having a summer program. We're looking at camps, and I'd like to be more consistent with our success. Now
that we have a better idea of what we have, we can work on some new things to better utilize our speed. This group absorbs things pretty quickly, so it will be big for us."
In retrospect, Pfingstler said there are some things he would do differently but admitted he, too, was learning.
"I'm pretty hard on myself, but overall, we made strides and are all more comfortable with each other, so things will go even smoother next year."
One thing for sure the Paper City coach is proud of the team's effort.
"These girls never quit and hustle from beginning to end. They gave their heart and
soul and left everything on the court, and to me that shows how much they care and how much they want to get better."
Wins and losses aside, the bond between the coaches, players, parents, and fans is most important to the Paper City mentor.
"Ever since I've been coaching, I've treated teams like a family, especially when you're in the gym for four to five months and even in the summer with the same group of girls. And, if you're not going to get along as a team, you won't succeed, and these girls do. They have great support at home and from the school, and that's so important moving forward."