The 2022-2023 season hasn’t started as the Gore Lady Pirates would have liked.

In three of the Lady Pirates six losses this season, Gore was within 10 points and just ran out of time.

In action against McCurtain, the Lady Pirates led all but one quarter but didn’t finish strong, which led to a loss, but in a matchup with Gans the following night, coach Staci Simeroth saw her squad respond.

“They came out hard and were ready to take on any competition,” explained Simeroth. “They showed me that they had fight and really wanted to change the momentum.”

In her sixth season and second year at Gore, Simeroth has relied upon her floor general, senior Lindsey Pierce. A move-in, Pierce has good control of the floor and leads her teammates.

Simeroth pointed to a trio of freshmen who have pushed the team with their high energy through the first half of the season. Kennedy Williams is a young post player not afraid to battle in the paint. Emily Daily and Rayliegh Moore are high energy defenders who will force opposing offenses to be uncomfortable in making quicker decisions with the basketball.

“Natalie Casteel (Jr.), Oakley Thornton (Jr.), Kima Wells (Sr.), Aspyn Cearley (Sr.), and Andi Summerlin (Jr.) will really step up in the games that are coming up,” Simeroth said. ‘We are building confidence each day and I’m hoping our skills will be showing in the near future. This is such a great group of girls to coach this year. They are coachable and athletic.”

After a hot shooting night from behind the arc for Webbers Falls, the Lady Pirates are excited to face the Warriors again later this season.

“We didn’t play our best and our girls are ready to show them a different team,” Simeroth said. “Our team has been working really hard on being there for each other in helping on defense and communicating better. “When we play them again it won’t be the same team they played in January.”