DALEVILLE, Va. – Signing Day in late April was bittersweet for the Lord Botetourt girls basketball team as they sent five seniors off to the next level. With a new season approaching, the Cavaliers embraced a “reload, not rebuild” mentality — and it’s paying off.
“To be honest, I think we’ve kind of exceeded my expectations,” said head coach Renee Favaro. “Maybe I should’ve risen them, but when you graduate five seniors, and then we gain the schedule that was super tough.”
One of the biggest reasons for the team’s success has been their emphasis on defense.
“Our preseason schedule was tough, so I couldn’t be happier with this group,” Favaro said. “They really know how to grind it out. I think this group is really tough defensively. I think you’ll see that night in and night out.”
“Coming back on the defensive end, we’ve really locked in,” senior Madilyn Winterton said. “That’s kind of been our identity. Coach G says it every single game: defense is our identity, and we all take a lot of pride in that.”
Their defense has been key in early-season wins against tough opponents, including Class 3 teams like Spotswood, Turner Ashby, and Abingdon — the team that ended their postseason run last year.
“It was a big hit for all of us,” said senior Madelyn Caron. “Because we were expecting to go a lot farther than last season, and so I think we all took [that loss] very personal.”
Senior Abby Kingery added, “They’re a really good team, and it was a really tough game. They lost maybe one person — they didn’t lose a lot this year — and we lost a lot of people. So, to go down there and beat them, losing five seniors and they maybe lost like one, that was a big win for us and gave us a lot more confidence.”
The team has also managed to stay competitive with just eight players on the varsity roster, relying on their strong bond to push through challenges.
“This team is very close-knit,” Winterton said. “There’s only eight of us, and these are seven of my best friends. So, we all have a similar goal in mind, and we’re able to come together to win games and push forward every time.”
With defense as their backbone and a deep sense of unity, the Cavaliers continue to dominate, showing their “reload” mindset is paying off.