By Annie Goodykoontz

The Tempe Prep’s Lady Knights basketball team has a new coach this season.

Coach Antonio McClary took over this year. This is his first high-school coaching job; previously he has coached club basketball in Texas and Arizona. He already has led the team to a couple of victories.

Grace Newman, a senior at Tempe Prep, plays for the varsity. “You can tell he’s dedicated, loves the game and just really wants us to improve,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a little scary when he yells, but we know he loves us!”

In other news, the basketball season has been going well. The team has many new freshmen players, and Grace believes they will get better and better.

“We have a lot of potential with our young and beginning players, and I can’t wait to see how much we grow,” Grace said. “I think once we get our defense down, we’ll be dynamite.”

The team is putting a lot of effort into improvement.

“We work hard, and we run like there’s no tomorrow,” Grace said. “But basketball is not just a physical game. It’s also a mental game, and we have the toughness – in both senses, mental and physical – to win.”

But there is more to it than the final record, Grace said. “I just want to enjoy this year,” she said. “I love the game, and I want to help everyone else love it. I want to set an example to the rest of the team of how to fight hard, communicate, and focus. I don’t really care about winning all the games, but I’m more focused on developing good habits for the future.”

Photos: Dec. 4 game versus Glendale Prep Griffins