After leading the Twin Valley field hockey team to a state championship in November, seniors Natali Foster and Rachel Knight are bringing their winning mindset to the basketball court for the Raiders.
And while basketball is not their primary sport, Twin Valley coach Doug Myer said the multi-sport athletes have made one thing very clear.
“They like to compete,” Myer said. “They don’t like to lose, and that became apparent to me very early on.”
Foster and Knight, along with senior and fellow multi-sport athlete Anna Kaplan, are the three captains for the defending Berks II champion Raiders. With a wealth of experience and past success in several sports, the trio has brought their leadership skills to the basketball court.
“We could not ask for three better young women to be leading our team,” Myer said. “They set the tone — when it’s time to have fun, when it’s time to get serious and work hard. They’re just outstanding role models for the other girls.”
Kaplan was the Berks Player of the Year last spring in girls lacrosse, and helped the Raiders win their first county title, finish second in District 3 Class 2A and reach the state semifinals.
Foster and Knight, as well as sophomore Collette Lennon, helped guide Twin Valley to the PIAA Class 2A field hockey title on Nov. 20. With basketball practices already underway by then, the trio relied on one another as they quickly transitioned from the turf to the hardwood.
“It went really nicely having those two to back me up,” Knight said. “We all went through it together, so it was really nice to have the support of them with me.”
However, according to Foster, the abrupt shift to basketball had its challenges.
“It was hard jumping right into it,” said Foster, the two-time Berks Player of the Year in field hockey who also helped the Raiders win the Berks softball title last spring and qualify for states. “It was so different, because it’s such a different atmosphere. We’re adapting to it.”
The Raiders also are adapting to Myer, who is in his first season leading Twin Valley. The veteran coach led the Wilson girls for 18 years and was an assistant boys basketball coach at Conrad Weiser the last two seasons.
With just a handful of games and less than a month of practice under his belt as the Raiders coach, Myer acknowledged that the coaches and players are still trying to mesh.
“It’s still obvious at this point in this season that we’re not totally connected as a team,” Myer said. “We’re definitely a work in progress.”
Twin Valley also is looking to replace three of its top four scorers from last season — seniors Ava Morrow, Sophia Rasiul and Morgan Lennon. Morrow was an All-Berks selection, while Rasiul and Lennon were all-division picks for a team that went 9-2 in Berks II, 17-8 overall and reached the District 3 Class 5A quarterfinals.
This season, the Raiders will rely on Foster, a returning all-division selection, and Knight, an all-division honorable mention last year. Last season’s seniors helped prepare Knight and Foster for their role as captains, according to Knight.
“They were such great leaders,” Knight said, “I think we were able to follow in their footsteps really easily.”
Twin Valley won two of its first three games, defeating Lancaster Mennonite and Manheim Central. Foster was dominant on offense, posting a team-leading 18 points per game through the first three contests.
“Great effort so far,” Myer said. “I’m really proud of how hard we’ve competed.”
The Raiders will play their first league game on Dec. 20 against Exeter. Twin Valley has its sights set on competing for a county title, while replicating field hockey’s success in the district and state playoffs would be the ultimate achievement.
“It would be totally amazing,” Knight said. “It would just mean a lot to the school, too.”
Source: Berkshire mont