By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Injuries were the story to be told about the Rossville girls basketball team last season, with three key players missing extended time.
Fortunately, it's a new clean slate this year with a lot of returners hopeful of making a state tournament run, something the Bulldawgs have not had since 2006 when they took third.
Rylee Dick returns for her senior season for Rossville after earning All-Class 2A recognition last season. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Nore Burdiek (22) is a top returner for Rossville girls basketball after missing 11 games with an injury a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
It’s year two of the Derek Dick era with the Rossville girls after ending last season at 10-12 and Dick will build this year's team around his senior daughter, Rylee Dick, an All-Class 2A first-team selection last season, and junior standout Nora Burdiek.
“We had the best first week of practice that I’ve ever had in my 16 years of coaching and we’re really excited to get going,” Dick said.
Something coach Dick doesn’t want to do this season is take things for granted.
“I was really excited going into last year and I thought we were going to have a great year,'' Derek Dick said. "We have a talented group right now, so I need to do a better job of enjoying it and enjoying the ride and not living or dying on every play every game.
"Sports are big here at Rossville and I want to make sure that every kid that goes through here looks back with good and positive memories.''
Burdiek is back from injury and coming off an All-State season in volleyball while Rylee Dick is looking to end her prep career with a banner campaign after signing with Division II Rockhurst and Maggie Sanders and Lily Mitchell are among the other Bulldawgs who have stood out in the early going.
Coach Dick said he has noticed that the girls who helped Rossville's volleyball team qualify for the 2A state tournament realize this is their last go round in basketball, too, and said the sense of urgency is at an all-time high. On top of that, Dick said that he could see some freshman contributing and earning some minutes this season, too.
The scrappiness will be the key ingredient for this Bulldawgs team and Dick said they’ve been very connected on the defensive end.
Rossville will play for the 1A football title on Friday and Dick says his team feeds off that as well.
“In a town like Rossville, you have a rich athletic tradition and that’s been our message since last year that we need to up our standards and that’s what we’ve been preaching,'' Dick said. "The girls see that and they want that support, too, like football gets and they know they’ll show out which gives us momentum heading into the year.''
Rylee Dick said the team chemistry has been solid so far and she set a goal for the team when practice began.
“Always have high intensity in practices or anything that we do, even if we’re scrimmaging against our teammates, we should want to beat them,'' Rylee Dick said. "It should be going to the max because that’s how we’ll get better.''
Rylee said the Bulldawgs have implemented new offensive schemes and out of bounds plays just to try and be better than last year.
“I hope that we are ready to come out and play against some very good teams and try our best and see what happens,” she said.
Rylee and coach Dick both said sharing that passion together on and off the court has been really special and they both want to cherish this last season together.
