Back to the court

Gabe Johnson was so excited that she could barely sit still as she waited for the first day of basketball practice.

Without school on Monday, the wait until 3:30 p.m. may have seemed even longer.

But for Johnson and the rest of the girls who hope to make up the varsity team for Corvallis High in 2008-09, the time finally came.

Whle it was time to reunite with teammates and introduce themselves to some new ones, it was also a time to put the success and good times of a memorable 2007-08 season behind them.

Sure, the Spartans surprised many in the basketball world with a share of the Mid-Willamette Conference title and a fourth-place finish in the OSAA 5A state tournament.

Johnson was honored as the co-player of the year and teammate McKenzie Redberg was a first-team all-conference selection. And Alaina Adams earned second-team honors and Katie Schrock was an honorable mention.

But none of that mattered starting Monday. Last year is just that -- last year.

Head coach Joe Williamson talked to the team as practice began and let them know he felt a bit nervous as he pulled into the parking lot and headed into the gym.

"I had nerves and butterflies, and I'm the coach," he told the players before they stretched and worked on some drills.

"It's a different season for all of you," he added. "Nothing is the same. It's not the same as last year. We must earn everything."

Ah, a true statement.

Many people are predicting the Spartans to be in the top four in state. With those expectations can come more pressure to succeed.

"We all know what we can do and we can all get better at what we do and we can learn more," Johnson said. "It's going to be a different experience because it is a new season.

Putting the past in the past isn't always an easy thing to do, however.

"It's a tough thing because we know what we're not supposed to do and what we should do," Johnson admitted. "At the same time, we will do what we can and get as far as we can."

Practice, from my perspective, looked pretty good. I loved seeing how much the girls had seemed to have improved since last season. The energy level was up for most of the girls.

"Like I told you, everyone looked spunky and all happy," Johnson said. "I think a lot of people right now are confident and just getting their spot and getting back into basketball."

So how will Johnson and her teammates feel come Tuesday morning after a two-hour practice?

"Ahhh," she said, "hopefully not sore."

Even if they are a bit sore, the Spatans have time to get in game shape. The opening game isn't until Dec. 4 when they host West Salem. That's 24 more days. I know I can't wait.