It’s still early in the season, but Greenville Christian School varsity girls basketball coach Brother Sandifer sees plenty of potential in his young team.
Coach Sandifer’s squad is not the biggest team but they make up for it with spirit. They are young and athletic and still growing in confidence.
Four sophomores — Hallie Brown, Na Na Rhodes, Denaria Carter, and Brittany Stallion — are starters on this year’s Lady Saints team. Junior Jakayla Coats rounds out the starting five with sophomore Coco Jiles also contributing significantly. These young athletes have carried Greenville Christian to an early 2-3 record with both of those victories coming against Canton Academy.
Players like Denaria Carter say they are going to listen to their coaches each day in order to get better.
“I think we are going to have a really good season,” Denaria said. “We have a really fast team this year. We are not very tall, but we can do big things. I think we can go to state. Our offense is not where it needs to be right now, but we still have time to get better.
Coach Sandifer agrees that his team’s shooting needs to improve if the Lady Saints hope to reach their goals.
“We have got to shoot better. We can really, but they get down on themselves if they miss. Once we get the confidence and start making shots, we can be competitive with most teams. I do think that if we stay healthy we will be competitive in our division. I am not sure we are going to win it because I know Washington and Manchester are good teams. I don’t know much about St. Joseph because we have not played them in a while.”
This is Coach Sandifer’s 14th season leading the Lady Saints, and his passion for the program is as strong as ever.
“The Good Lord put me here and he hasn’t let me leave. I have been fortunate with the girls who have been here. I fall in love with these girls, and I want to see them succeed. I can proudly say my girls have gone on to college or got decent jobs and have become successful in the world as adults.”
