Lady Rams hope to keep rolling in 2016
A year ago, the Ringgold Lady Rams went 16-4 under first-year coach and former Lady Rams star Kayla Fransko.
So what will Year Two look like?
“We return nine starters, including three All-Section players,” Fransko said. “But we are in a new section and we are going to have to continue to evolve, have the willingness to learn, to grow, and be able to adapt throughout the season.”
Eight of the nine returning starters are underclassmen with the trio of returning All-Section players being juniors in forward Rylee Bove and midfielders Micheala Pry and Ashley Briscoe.
Midfielder/defender Annie Schoedel is the lone returning senior starter while two other juniors are back in midfielders Haley Frizzell and Mackenzie Musser.
Three sophomores, forward Maggie Lucas and midfielders Johnna Mayer and Ashley Ficorilli, started a year ago and are back in the lineup.
Four more sophomores will start throughout the season at different points in goalie Caitlyn Jones, defender Abby Skrinjorich and forward Jenna Colagiovanni.
The new section that Fransko mentioned is 3-A and Ringgold will be in there with Chartiers Valley, Oakland Catholic, Obama Academy, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity and West Mifflin.
Ringgold opened its season with a 5-0 win at West Mifflin on Wednesday.
Fransko did not hesitate when asked about the biggest keys to the season.
“We have to push ourselves to improve every day and support each other at all times,” she said. “And we want to demand respect.”
After losing in the first round of the playoffs a year ago, making the playoffs in a tough section like 3-A would be a good way to get the respect that the team wants.