Dec 4, 2015 By Jacob Meyer for The 3 min read

The Albert Gallatin girls basketball team hopes to improve this season after a 1-18, 1-11 in Section 1-AAAA, campaign last year.

Ellen Hildebrand, who is in her second year as head coach of the Lady Colonials, said the program is in a “tough rebuilding project.” Despite last season’s overall record, she is optimistic about the future.

“I have to say I feel there’s a lot of talent, but it’s just increasing their skill sets, the knowledge of the game,” Hildebrand said. “They work really hard for us; they worked hard all summer.”

After a season with only one senior, Fayette County Coaches Association All-County guard Alyssa Braddee, the Lady Colonials have no seniors on this year’s roster.

“It’s still an exceptionally young program. I have no seniors. Last year, it felt like we were playing a JV team in that section. We were playing mostly freshmen and sophomores,” Hildebrand said. “I’m saying the future looks bright down the road, but it’s going to be some time before we are able to compete. We’re looking to see progress.”

Hildebrand does not yet have her whole starting lineup official yet, but said she is looking for 6-foot junior forward Monica Saunders to be a leader on the team. Saunders was an FCCA All-County selection last season.

“She’s a big post player,” Hildebrand said. “We look to her a lot when she’s in [the post].”

Another player Hildebrand knows will be in the starting lineup is 5-foot-6 junior guard Emily Moccaldi.

For the rest of the starting five, Hildebrand said there are eight players she is juggling between for those three positions, along with the rest of the role-playing spots on the bench.

With most of those players being underclassmen, Hildebrand said the lack of seniors on the team has its positives and its negatives.

“It gives you the opportunity to play your younger players and develop your kids,” Hildebrand said. “It can be tough because sometimes it’s tough when you’re not winning.”

It’s especially difficult when, as Hildebrand said, the Lady Colonials are sending an underclassman-laden team against other teams in Section 1-AAAA, which she said is the “toughest section in the WPIAL.”

“When you put freshmen and sophomores up there against some of those teams, it’s so mentally tough and emotionally frustrating,” Hildebrand said.

Hildebrand said she would consider this season a success if the team won more than five games, but said rebuilding the program is just as important as winning games.

“It’s a process to rebuild a program. We’ve got to continue to build the program behind, and we’ve got to continue to build the kids that are in the high school,” Hildebrand said. “We don’t make it all about winning and losing. Yes, we want to win and that is the objective, however, what is winning for where we are right now? Winning is acquiring our skills, being more competitive. Once they start to have those things, winning starts to take care of itself.”