Dec 18, 2023 By Kevin Harrison 3 min read

Geibel Catholic head coach Sara Larkin expected her team to be a little better last year, but they managed to exceed those expectations picking up 11 wins and qualifying for the WPIAL playoffs.

“I had set what I felt was a realistic goal of eight wins last year,” Larkin said. “To go 11-11 and make the playoffs was a big step forward for the program.”

The key to that success last year was freshman Emma Larkin, who returns as the team’s main catalyst.

“I knew Emma could play at the varsity level, but I felt she had an exceptional freshman year,” Larkin said of her daughter.

Now with a new year brings new challenges. Amanda Hoffer and Maia Stevenson have graduated, and Emma Larkin is a known commodity for the Lady Gators.

“Emma has been working very hard to improve her game during the off-season,” Sara Larkin said. “I think she is ready to face the season. She knows she will be able to sneak up on anybody.”

Larkin feels the experience gained last season will give the whole team more confidence coming in.

The Lady Gators will return more than Larkin. Ava Partridge, Gianna Holonich and Jenna Buchheit are all returning starters, so coach Larkin thinks she has a very good nucleus to work with.

“Jenna has come a long way. She gives us a little height which should help with rebounding and scoring in the paint. All the girls have put in time during the off-season which I think will help us in the long run,” said Sara Larkin.

Sara Larkin thinks a big part of the Lady Gators’ success this year could be the maturity of Emma Larkin. She explained Emma knows what she can do against teams in the section, but must realize they will be focused on slowing her down. She says the younger Larkin must understand when she can go and when she must look for open teammates with good shots.

A new season and a little bit of success will attract new faces that could help the team during the year. Larkin pointed out Ava Henderson transferred in from Charleroi and has shown good athleticism. Henderson should benefit from more playing time at Geibel and help take some of the defensive focus off Emma Larkin.

Some of the other new faces joining the Lady Gators are senior Victoria Brown, who is trying basketball for the first time. Junior Autumn Barto comes in from the soccer team. Another junior, Courtney Tinkey, and freshman Jada Key are new to basketball.

“This is the first year I’ve had 10 kids on the roster, so it’s nice we are drawing some interest and getting some new faces,” Sara Larkin said. “My job now is to put it all together. Teaching the fundamentals of the game to the new kids and getting my veterans to help that process along.”