New Derry girls basketball coach faces huge challenge with inexperienced roster

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | 5:16 PM

New Derry girls basketball coach Nathan Keller faces a huge challenge this season, one that excites him.

Keller isn’t making any brash predictions. He just wants his young, inexperienced group to improve on a daily basis.

Keller has spent the past seven seasons coaching the boys and girls middle school teams.

The 2004 Penn-Trafford and 2008 IUP graduate was Gene Brisbane’s assistant last season, so he knows what to expect. Brisbane resigned after last year’s 5-15 season and is expected to join the boys staff at Greensburg Salem as an assistant.

“I learned a lot from Gene and Tom (Derry boys coach Esposito) the past seven years,” Keller said. “I’m ready to put that advice to work.”

Keller has no easy task ahead. There are no starters returning, no seniors and only one junior currently on the roster.

Graduating were Rachelle Marinchek, Ally Loucks and Samantha Gruska. Senior Jane Huss, who was the team’s leading scorer (10.1 points per game), decided to concentrate on track and sophomore Haylee Myers on softball.

Derry returns three letterwinners, but one, sophomore Adalyn O’Hanlon, suffered a knee injury during volleyball.

The two players who saw significant playing time — and even started a few games — are sophomores Trinity Miller and Kylee Metcalf.

“Those two are very athletic and all-around players,” Keller said. “We have 18 girls signed up — seven are freshmen — but I’m not sure how many will show up.”

Keller said the team needs to learn how to play defense first, and “we need girls who will go hard all over the court.”

“The goal is to pressure our opponents,” Keller said. “I plan to use a lot of players who can run. That will be the key.

“Even though we had a tough season last year, we sort of finished on a high note. We were playing Freeport, which had easily beaten us earlier in the season, and we had the ball with a chance to win the game. We turned the ball over and lost, but it showed how much improvement the team made during the season. Hopefully, this season will be the same.”

Derry’s section (1-4A) remained the same except for one team: Greensburg Salem moved to Class 5A, and Oakland Catholic has dropped from Class 5A.

The holdovers in the section are Burrell, Freeport, Highlands, Knoch, North Catholic and Valley, the only section opponent Derry defeated in 2023-24.

Derry girls at a glance

Coach: Nathan Keller

Last year’s record: 5-15 (2-10 Section 1-4A)

Returning starters: None

Top newcomers: Kylee Metcalf (So., G), Adalyn O’Hanlon (So., G), Trinity Miller (So., G).

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Derry Area