Freshman Year

Senior Year

Seniors Morgan Smith, Courtney Epplin, Olivia Graeser, Elise Grimshaw and Addy Jones pose together. (Credit to Photo Submitted by staff / Credit to Kylie Ramirez)

At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, the varsity girls’ basketball team had five freshmen on the roster, endearingly named the “Freshman Five”. These girls included Morgan Smith, Elise Grimshaw, Olivia Graeser, Addy Jones and Courtney Epplin. Three of the girls stepped up from junior varsity, and two were picked directly for the team. This was a significant shift in the team’s roster, surprising everyone involved. Head coach Danielle Rampley was the first to know.

“The year before, we had lost around six seniors, so I knew the class coming in had a large group of freshmen,” Rampley said. “They were all skilled, they played well together, they were good friends, and I just think bringing them up together made sense.”

These freshmen would find themselves skipping the low-paced junior varsity play and going straight to more experienced competition.

“I think that it was a big role that we all had to step into,” Smith said. “All of us getting into our first varsity game was such a surreal moment for us, and it was scary, but it led us to where we are now.”

“I would say our first year was very focused on learning,” Graeser said. “Learning where we fit in with the team, seeing the leadership that’s already on the team and developing that within ourselves. Coming from eighth grade to varsity is a big jump, so getting used to how they play, and how Rampley likes to coach, was something we had to learn too.”

Since there were so many freshmen on the team, none of them could shy away from their role. Everyone played to their strengths and put in all they could for the team.

“We definitely had to step up,” Jones said. “The older girls expected a lot out of us because around half our team was freshmen. We just really had to step up and meet the expectations that were needed for varsity a little earlier than most people.”

But through it all, they supported and listened to each other, facing every challenge with confidence and discipline.

“If one of us is down, we’re all down and we’re all lifting each other up,” Smith said. “It’s a five-month long season, so of course there’s gonna be setbacks, and there’s gonna be negative moments. But I think just being good friends gives you someone to lean on in those tough moments. So, through those setbacks, knowing that we’re all going through the same thing together just helps you through that mental block, and reminds you that you’ll get through it all together, no matter your setbacks or challenges.”

Gallery • 5 Photos

Elise Grimshaw plays in a varsity basketball game as a freshman.

And come their junior year, things started to get serious. They had experience, and they began to step up into their new role on the team.

“Coming into sophomore and junior year, we had a much bigger role to play,” Smith said. “Sophomore year got a lot of us more playing time, and junior year was the big switch where you had me and Addy Jones as captains on the team. So, I think a lot of us had to step into that leadership role and help with keeping the team spirits high.”

This wasn’t an easy change. The move from being just a member on a team to a leader can be a difficult one for some. For Rampley though, she feels it pushed these girls to reach their potential and become the best players they could be.

And so, they held strong throughout the changes in their team’s structure, continuing to support one another like they always had.

“[I just knew] that whenever I missed a shot or messed up a play, they still had my back,” Grimshaw said. “They encouraged me, and I [knew] that I could rely on every teammate I have on the bench and on the floor.”

And the support they give to one another is a great reflection of the connections they’ve built and the friendships they have with each other.

“I would say it’s definitely more than basketball,” Jones said. “Lucky me, I’ve been playing with a lot of them since I was in third grade. If we were playing other sports, not all of us would have connected. But I’m really happy we did all connect, because I feel like we match really well, and thrive off each other.”

Today, these five are still playing. This final season, the five are now in their senior year, and they’re all working to end it on a good note, including their coach.

“I hope they go out and just leave it all out on the court,” Rampley said. “I don’t want them to have any regrets… I think they’re ready to have a great senior year. We’re adding more freshmen to our team this year, so I hope they can be leaders for those freshmen who are coming in.”