HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: Warrior basketball future looks bright

Editor's note: Here is your chance to tell your story about your team, your school or your favorite player. If you'd like to join The Gazette's growing list of high school contributors, contact J.R. Ogden at jr.ogden@thegazette.com

By Evan Fisher, C.R. Washington seniorCEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids Washington freshman girls' basketball team is off to an unbelievable start to the season.The Warriors won their first nine games of the season, all while also working double duty by playing all sophomore games, too. The sophomore team is just above .500.Warrior women's basketball is not only surviving with a lack of sophomores, but is thriving under the circumstances.The future looks very bright for this program. The freshman team, coached by Amy Faulkner and Rob Justis, has dominated its competition. The sophomore team is coached by K.K. Armstrong and Chris James.“By the end of the week we are all exhausted,” said freshman Devon O'Donnell, “but all it takes is a couple of encouraging words from our coaches to pick us up and get our team to fight through the fatigue. We love to play, so we embrace the workload.”Aside from an impressive amount of stamina and will to compete, this group of freshmen have played together since elementary school. They attribute their success to their court awareness, as well as awareness of each other's strength and weaknesses.“I'm not only very excited to see them grow over the next four years in the program, but I'm excited to see what they can achieve," Faulkner said. "They've got an incredible amount of potential.”Is another state championship banner in store for the walls of the Washington gymnasium? Only time will tell