Arcanum gearing up for conference run
By George Starks

ARCANUM- Three years ago when Rachel Ferron took over the girls basketball program at Arcanum, she knew there would be growing pains.

Last year, Arcanum finished with a .500 season and Ferron was pleased with the effort her second year squad brought to the table.

Like any other coach, Ferron wants improvement and a .500 finish is not acceptable.

“I would like to see us pushing for a conference title, “said Ferron. “We are a young team but our sophomores are battle tested and many of them were playing varsity a year ago. My sophomores aren’t sophomores anymore.”

Like any team, it all starts with the point guard and for Ferron, that position will start with sophomore Alexis Abner.

“She knows the game,” said Ferron. “She does a great job seeing the floor and she can run the offense. I will rely on her to make the right decisions for us but I have to remind myself, she’s still a sophomore and I’m looking for that leader on the floor. I want her to be that leader because she knows how to step up and take control.”

In the two and three spots for Ferron with be sophomores Abby Ross and Logan Stone.

“Ross is after it all over the floor,” Ferron stated. “She needs to work at keeping her head up and seeing the floor. With Stone, we need to get her confidence built up. She knows the game and all three of my sophomores can play the game.”

Ferron will have only two seniors but one, Abby O’Donnell, will be the only senior to start the season.

O’Donnell’s numbers from a year ago has spoken volumes and that shouldn’t change during her season year.

With O’Donnell and sophomore Rebecca Deo in the post, Ferron could have a solid one-two punch in the paint.

“I will have four sophomores on the floor starting and she’s another one that sometimes, she can play really tough for us and sometimes she’s soft,” Ferron said. “We are trying to get that toughness in her all the time. I know it’s there; we just have to get it out of her. O’Donnell is a true athlete and she just needs to bring it all together and get it done out there. This summer, she was getting it done. I think we’re going to run into teams that are going to be jumping on her a lot.”

With the possibility of a better record, the Trojans will be aggressive.

“That’s something I won’t tell my kids not to be is aggressive,” said Ferron. “I want them to give me everything they’ve got and be able to put the aggressiveness together with the control of the game. We don’t always get those two aspects working together. I know they’re going out and giving it their all but at the same time they have to be able to play the game as well. That comes with maturity over time. I’s one game at a time.”

Arcanum will open at Tri-Village on November 22nd in the Bill Burkett with Franklin Monroe.