Niwot girls look to rebound in 2021-22

First-year head coach Jon Hill is looking to rebuild a Niwot girls basketball team that went winless last season.

Niwot, which opens its 2021-22 season hosting Denver West on Thursday, Dec. 2, began official team practices on Nov. 15 but players have been going through preseason workouts since September.

"Getting to know the girls has been really awesome," Hill said. "It's a great group. We're senior heavy this year. We've got five seniors and they've gone through a lot. But they're really excited to get out there, work hard and have some fun while they do it."

In addition to those five senior returners, junior Emily Damek is back and the Cougars welcome three freshmen, two sophomores and a junior to the team.

Carly Toothaker returns for her senior season as Niwot's leading returning scorer. Playing in all 14 games of the COVID-19 shortened 2021 season, Toothaker averaged 5.1 points per game.

"Her voice in our practices is definitely one of those very upbeat, exciting ones," Hill said of Toothaker. "It makes a real big difference."

Fellow seniors Rachel Noble, Grace Crall, Maddi Tajchman and Jordyn Stewart return as well for their final ride. Crall was a versatile player for the Cougars last year as she led Niwot with 1.5 assists per game and averaged 3.5 rebounds.

"The (senior) girls have endured quite a bit throughout their career and they continue to show up," HIll said. "Our underclassmen look to them and have really been inspired by what type of effort they're willing to put in and it challenges them to do better."

As for some of the youngsters, Hill said that all three of his freshmen -- Rose Pacheco, Evelyn Melis and Cat Omer --- have "made some major noise" this preseason.

"Rose Pacheco is going to make some opposing teams' guards' lives miserable," Hill said. "Cat, she's like 6-(foot)-1 and still growing into her body. But again, very, very athletic for her size. And then Evelyn, she's our 'do all the work' girl. She knows our sets probably better than anyone else."

But regardless of experience, Hill's message to Niwot has been to work hard and put last season behind them.

"Our team motto this year is 'pain today is strength tomorrow,'" Hill said. "I think the girls have really started to do that."

Niwot will host a round robin tournament beginning Dec. 2 that has the Cougars playing three games in three days to open their season. Denver West comes first on Dec. 2 before the Cougars face Denver North Dec. 3 and Middle Park Dec. 4.