Crusaders ready to show improvement in season No. 2

Saxony Lutheran girls basketball players had a difficult first year at the varsity level last winter, winning just two games.

But Crusaders coach Steve Fritzler said his players received some valuable experience.

"I ended the year with eight or nine players, and so they all played a lot of minutes," Fritzler said. "I hope that carries over."

Yet Fritzler did add that only four of those eight or nine players on last year's team returned this year. Nine freshmen came out, meaning that the team will need to play at least one freshman at all times.

Three of the starters from last year did return -- Kara Versemann at forward and Deanna Dippold and Tiffany Haertling at guard. Sophomore Angel Stone could also factor into the mix.

As for the newcomers, Fritzler likes the ball handling skills of 5-foot-6 freshman River King and he could make her one of his point guards this year. He also said she can hit the outside shot.

Freshman Julia Steffens also likely will earn some minutes playing inside, although she does lack some height.

"We'll be starting at least one freshman, maybe two," Fritzler said. "I'm looking for that right mix on what we can compete the best with.

"We'll be experimenting with a lot of different lineups and a lot of different positions when they first get started here, and that's typical of a private school when you've got kids who come in and have never played together before and it's always a challenge."

Another challenge for the Crusaders will be that they face tough opposition.

"We had a brutal schedule last year, which often happens that first year of varsity because you're not on anybody's schedule from the year before and we played anybody who would play us," Fritzler said.