Dec 6, 2020 3 min read

In good times, troubled times or even in down times, the one staple of the Chartiers-Houston High School girls basketball team is tough, tenacious defense.

Count on that again from the 2020-21 Bucs.

“Definitely, playing tough defense has been part of the success we had when we had really good teams and it has helped us compete and give ourselves a chance to win in years we were average,” said Chartiers-Houston coach Laura Montecalvo. “Defense will continue to be one of our central focal points.

“We think we can create opportunities through pressure and then we hope to capitalize on it.”

The Bucs are coming off a third-place finish last season with an 8-4 Section 3-AA record and overall mark of 12-11. They lost a tough, 30-24, decision to Winchester Thurston in the first-round of the WPIAL playoffs.

It was Chartiers-Houston’s sixth consecutive postseason appearance. The Bucs were WPIAL champions in 2017 and the runner-up in 2018.

Montecalvo has steered Chartiers-Houston into postseason play the past two seasons after the roster changed significantly after the 2017 and 2018 runs.

She is excited about the Bucs’ prospects this season and going forward.

Chartiers-Houston is looking for big seasons from veterans Zamierah Edwards, a senior, and Dominique Mortimer, a junior. Both were all-section players last season.

“Zamierah has finally completed a transformation not just as a player, but also as a person,” Montecalvo said. “She has grown by leaps and bounds as far as maturity, leadership and work ethic. One our greatest joys as coaches is to see the great amount of change a kid can go through to not only get better as a player but as a person.”

Montecalvo speaks the same about Mortimer.

“Zamierah and Dominique are similar players as far as strength,” the coach said. “I think Dominique saw the light in the playoff loss last season. She’s been laser focused. We’ve seen a ton of growth and some fantastic leadership from her. She’s learned to accept coaching and criticism. She is trusting herself.”

While Edwards and Mortimer are keys to Chartiers-Houston’s success this season in Section 3-AA with Burgettstown, Carlynton, Fort Cherry, Northgate and Sto-Rox, the Bucs have some exciting young players who should not only emerge but also provide the base for the next few seasons.

Chartiers-Houston has lacked steady ball-handling, even in their best seasons over the past six years, and consistent shooting.

The youngsters could help make a positive change in those areas.

Sophomore Za’Layah Edwards, Zamierah’s sister, was the team’s top three-point shooter in 2019-2020 and sparked the Bucs with her up-tempo play. She averaged a little more than seven points per game and led the team in scoring a handful of games.

Other significant returners to the cause are sophomores Kaydan Buckingham, a starter, and Kayla Brose and senior Gabby Pomfret. They are joined by five freshmen: Mia Mitrik, Emily Rothermund, Maddie Menzer, Ava Daddea and Emily Swarrow.

“Our lineup could change game-to-game depending on the opponent,” Montecalvo said. “We have a lot more ballhandlers. We have put a lot of work into that part of the game. They all know how much trouble we’ve had with that part of the game. They know how much better we can be if we improve that.”

Montecalvo will be assisted again by Brad Scott. The Bucs are scheduled to open their season Friday at Brownsville and play at West Allegheny the following day.