With the final stretch of the regular season coming, the Gatewood girls basketball team appears to be finding its stride at exactly the right moment.
The Lady Gators entered this week with a 15-4 overall record and a 4-2 mark in GIAA Region 2-AA play.
Despite battling illness over the past few weeks, second-year head coach Ferdinand Farley believes his team is positioning itself for a strong postseason run as the region tournament and postseason approach.
“We feel like we’re playing well,” Farley said. “We’ve been down a little bit these last couple weeks with the flu and stuff going around, but other than that, I think we’re in pretty good shape to make a good run getting toward the region tournament.”
Over the course of the season, Farley said one trait has stood out above the rest in his players — relentlessness. That mindset has helped Gatewood navigate a roster that includes a strong group of underclassmen alongside veteran leadership.
“Going into this season, I didn’t know what to expect, especially with my upcoming ninth-grade class and my underclassmen. Everybody’s stepping up, especially my seniors,” the coach said. “They’re a relentless group of young ladies.”
Leadership from veterans Riley Roberts, Lauren Paxson, Ellie McMillian, Avery Hill, Lily Huskins, and Natalie Sills has set the tone, with younger players like Bela Smith, Sylvie Huskins, and Lily Arthur stepping up and contributing meaningful minutes.
Farley said that collective relentlessness has driven the team’s growth on and off the floor.
“They’re getting a good idea of what it means to work hard and work for each other,” he said. “That’s been a real big plus for us this season.”
As the postseason nears, communication has become a key focus for the Lady Gators. Farley pointed to a recent game against Trinity Christian, where that area dipped, largely due to players returning from illness.
“I think we can really improve on our communication,” he said. “Because of sickness and kids just getting back, we weren’t communicating like we usually do. We want to make sure we’re communicating 100 percent — on and off the floor — and executing what we’re supposed to do at a high level.”
With players able to rest and recover, Farley said he feels optimistic about the team’s ability to continue improving one game at a time.
Looking ahead, Gatewood’s goals appear clear — and ambitious. Farley believes this group has the potential to make a deep playoff run, with a state championship a firm possibility.
“That’s the plan,” he said. “One of our goals this season was to be in that region championship game, win it, and then hopefully make it to that state championship game.”
Before that, however, the Lady Gators have milestones they hope to check off along the way, starting with 20 wins for the regular season.
“We’ve got goals in mind,” Farley said. “First is getting 20 wins, then winning our region championship, and hopefully taking that state championship as well.”
Don’t count the Lady Gators out. If Gatewood maintains a relentless mindset and improves its communication, this could be a dangerous team once the playoffs begin.