Highlands girls basketball welcomes fresh faces

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, November 17, 2024 | 5:28 PM

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First-year coach Dan LaGamba is open to all possibilities for the Highlands girls basketball program this season. The Golden Rams only have one starter — Tyarah Woody — returning from a team that reached the PIAA Class 4A playoffs.

That means Highlands will need to grow together if it wants to find a way back to the state playoffs. LaGamba thinks there is a path to success.

“I think there is still potential here,” LaGamba said. “We have a young team coming back, but the open gyms we’ve had over the past few weeks have been positive and encouraging.”

Highlands has 13 players out for the team this season, and seven of them are freshman. Last season, the Golden Rams went 18-8 behind a senior-laden roster.

“I think our strength is we’re a bunch of hustlers,” Woody said. “We have a bunch of fast hustlers on our team. Everyone wants to be there and contribute on offense. If not on offense, they are working on defense. No matter who we are up agianst, it’s going to be a fight.”

With a young team, LaGamba would like to play a defensive-first, fast-tempo style, if the conditions are right for it.

“I like to pressure the ball. I think we can do that,” LaGamba said. “We’ve been going over that a lot in open gyms. We are molding the team into that. Offensively, we want to look to push. But we understand that with a young team we are going to have to slow it down sometimes. We want to push tempo and create turnovers.”

The Golden Rams open the season Dec. 2 when they host Armstrong. Highlands will be in Section 1-4A along with Burrell, Derry, Freeport, Knoch, North Catholic, Oakland Catholic and Valley. Highlands’ first section game will be Dec. 12 when it hosts Burrell.

Because LaGamba was hired closer to the season, Highlands wasn’t involved in a summer or fall league. Woody said there will be some growing pains because they didn’t get to play together.

“It comes back to the chemistry,” Woody said. “We are way behind because we are leaning what everyone can do and where their best positions are.”

The Golden Rams will lean on Woody, a 5-foot-8 guard, and Bella Bonnett, a 5-9 forward, who was a key contributor off the bench last season.

“(Woody) brings loads of experience,” LaGamba said. “She started last year and maybe the year before that so she brings experience and leadership. Bella also brings the leadership style as well. It’s been awesome to see that develop and for them to take on the leadership role within the group we have.”

LaGamba takes over at Highlands following a long tenure leading the Ellis School girls program. While at the Ellis School, LaGamba took the Tigers to the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals in 2020.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of being at a bigger school,” LaGamba said. “The people at Ellis were good to me, but I’m excited to see the competitive nature of 4A basketball. I want to start building the program at Highlands and put my mark on it.”

Highlands girls at a glance

Coach: Dan LaGamba

Last year’s record: 18-8 (10-2 Section 1-4A)

Returning starters: Tyarah Woody (Senior, guard/forward)

Top newcomers: Lillie Ryan (Sophomore/Forward), Jasmine Owen (Freshman/guard), Brooke Walker (Freshman/forward), Lanaya Suber (Freshman/guard)

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