A Player’s Perspective

The Varsity Girls' Basketball team recently competed in their district tournament. As defending Class Five state champions, they were moved to Class Six for the 2024-2025 season. They earned a hard-fought win against Hazelwood Central, winning 51-45. After that, they played Lutheran St. Charles and lost by a narrow margin of five, with a final score of 59-64. Lauren Lanton provides us with a unique viewpoint as a freshman on the varsity team:

[Amara and Addie]: Have you felt any pressure playing on a defending state championship team?

[Lauren]: I mean there’s always pressure, but it's what keeps the team motivated. The pressure we face inspires us to keep improving and get better every game.

[Amara and Addie]: How did you feel coming into the season as a freshman on varsity?

[Lauren]: I was really excited about playing in high school, and being on varsity was just the cherry on top. I wasn’t really nervous because the team atmosphere was really good. Everyone was very welcoming and open to new players like me, and I was excited to be there.

[Amara and Addie]: How did you feel about districts?

[Lauren]: We had a strong start to the season–we won our first five games. After that, we lost three in a row. We lost to Lutheran St. Charles by thirty points, and we didn’t play to our full potential. In districts, when we played them again, we wanted to show ourselves that we could improve and show everyone that we had gotten better throughout the season. Even though it wasn’t the outcome we wanted, we only lost by five points, which was a big improvement.

[Amara and Addie]: Did you have any pre-game rituals this season?

[Lauren]: We didn't really have any set rituals–just the typical stuff like pep talks. However, we did like making pregame TikToks to have some fun before locking in for the game.

[Amara and Addie]: How do you feel about the season overall, and how will you improve for next season?

[Lauren]: I think I improved a lot over the course of the season and gained a lot of game IQ. Also, the team improved a lot as a unit. At the beginning of the season, we weren't really clicking, but as the season went on, we got to know each other better and built more team chemistry. I’m excited for next year, and I’m ready to see what our team can do.

More of the team:

By: Amara Mahoney ‘28 & Addie Tomlinson ‘28

Edited by: Lexi Schoenecker ‘26

Photos: Lilly Tourville ‘26