MONETA, Va. – Before this season, the last time the Golden Eagles took the court for a game was in February of 2020.
“I mean honestly, it was devastating,” senior Jeni Levine said. “We went out there every single day, we practiced as hard as we could like we were playing the next day.”
And with nothing but time and patience ahead of them after that night, Staunton River continued to get better.
“And that kind of sparked them, and they worked so hard for the season they didn’t have,” head coach Kim Jones said. “And then when we really didn’t have a season, it pushed them even harder.”
“We worked really hard and busted our tails in the offseason, so it definitely pays off,” senior Jayda Jones added.
There’s no doubt it has, the Eagles have remained undefeated through their first 12 games.
“I think it definitely helped because we didn’t have any days off because we were patiently waiting for a game and it made our game way better,” Jayda said.
“The thing that stands out about our team is the hard work, our defense, and the fact they never give up and play hard from the time the game starts until the very end,” Jones added.
A decade ago was the last trip to the state tournament, and the Eagles’ stout defensive effort may help find themselves there again in March.
“Even as horrible as last year was without having a season, it just made them work so much harder,” Jones finished.