Dec 23, 2019 3 min read

Jordan Watson thinks everyone might be surprised that his West Greene High School girls basketball team is unbeaten entering its Christmas break.

Not him.

For the third time in three years, the Pioneers will wake up Christmas morning with an unbeaten record. This year may be a little more unexpected but just as rewarding.

“Going in, we looked at our schedule as a whole. I think it surprises everybody else that we are 7-0,” Watson said.

That was before the Pioneers rallied from a 12-point deficit late in the third quarter to down West Virginia power Wheeling Central Catholic Saturday afternoon, 61-57, to improve them to 8-0 overall.

“I thought games would have been a lot closer,” Watson continued. “I’ve been happy.”

How the new-look Pioneers have played has given Watson more joy than a kid waking up on Christmas morning.

West Greene has scored at least 60 points in seven of its eight games, the highest scoring team in Class A. The average margin of victory for the Pioneers in their eight wins is 35 points.

Not bad for a new-look team.

McKenna and Madison Lampe are no longer there. Kaitlyn Rizor also graduated. Each was a 1,000-point scorer in a senior class last season that played in back-to-back WPIAL Class A championships the last two seasons at the Petersen Events Center.

You can take away talent, but there is no taking away the press out of ‘Press Greene.’

Continuing its full-court press defense, West Greene has been an in-your-face nightmare as it has in the past. Forcing around 30 turnovers per game in past seasons, the Pioneers have pressed less but are right on track with their turnovers per game ratio, forcing about 31 each time they take the floor.

“We do like to be that full-court pressing team. That up-tempo, go, go, go,” Watson said. “Style-wise, not a lot has changed. We might not press as much because we aren’t as deep. It’s just different names in different roles. We knew we lost a lot. We also knew what our girls coming back were capable of.”

Now, it’s a new three-headed attack of Jersey Wise, Elizabeth Brudnock and Anna Durbin, role players for the past few seasons who have stepped to the forefront of the offense for West Greene. Jersey Wise is averaging 18.4 points to lead the Pioneers. Brudnock scores 12.3 points per game and Durbin continuously flirts with double figures.

“It’s just a matter of getting more looks and touches,” Watson said. “They knew they were going to get a lot more chances. Everybody had to eat last year. In the past, we’ve wanted Lampe, Lampe and Rizor to combine for 40 points per game. That’s similar to what we are wanting from those three girls this year.”

Watson has been able to play all 16 players in every game prior to Wheeling Central Catholic this past weekend. Acknowledging that the stretch run to what he hopes is another championship appearance will be just as challenging.

“We have girls who need to be ready by January and February,” Watson said. “Last year, our eighth and ninth girls would have been the player on a lot of teams around here. It’s hard to replace what we lost, that senior class as a whole and role players that got overlooked. I think everyone has bought into their role so far this year. We have girls who love to compete.”