The Rossford High School varsity girls basketball team made a historic tournament run last year, reaching regional semifinals before bowing out to an undefeated Napoleon team that seemed destined for a state championship until COVID-19 shut down the season.

This year’s team has struggled to win games, but Head Coach Toby Ledesma does not choose to be disappointed.

The current team is 1-16 on the year with two regular season games remaining before heading into a firstround tournament match up against Rogers February 17.

Ledesma is determined to remain positive about the Bulldogs.

Instead of focusing just on this season, he likes where this squad is potentially headed.

“It’s good for them to take their lumps now to reap the benefits later,” he noted.

This year’s Bulldogs are very young and inexperienced. Returning players have been expected to play different roles and positions. “While we were hop

“While we were hoping for a few more wins, I’m happy with the experience that we’re getting and with the progress that we’ve made,” Ledesma said.

The team has been especially hit hard by a combination of injuries and COVID quarantines that caused the Bulldogs to play as many as four different starting lineups throughout the season.

“A lot of teams would have just folded, be we’re still working hard, still wanting to compete,” Ledesma said.

Seniors Monica Pupik and Marie Findley were the only players with substantial varsity experience.

While the coaches rely on them for leadership, several younger players have had to step up and learn to be varsity players on the fly.

Freshmen Mia DeBortoli and Emily McConocha have been varsity regulars all season.

“They were both playing eighth-grade basketball just a year ago,” Ledesma pointed out. “But they are learning some valuable experience with the varsity.”

Sophomore Lola Luderman is also playing a significant role in her first full season of varsity competition. She played junior varsity last year and has provided some points for the Bulldogs this year.

“All of these players are doing better understanding the speed of the varsity game. They have all been better at being aggressive. They are starting to feel a better sense of belonging and familiarity– a feeling that wasn’t there when the season started,” Ledesma explained.

“Early on, we let the moment overcome us, but now we are trying new things and trying to make plays.” The tournament draw that

The tournament draw that pits the Bulldogs against the Rogers Rams is intriguing.

Last year, Rossford defeated the Rams in a thriller to be district champs. Rogers returns several players from last year’s squad that is currently an unknown due to the low number of games they have played this season.

“It’s actually a great draw for us, but it will be a tough game,” Ledesma acknowledged. “We just have to take it one game at a time.”

Ledesma believes the Bulldogs are playing in one of the toughest districts in the state. Several ranked teams are in the field, including Napoleon–who returned everyone from last year’s team–plus Bryan and St. Mary’s.

To compete with Rogers, Ledesma recognizes that the Bulldogs need to limit turnovers and be ready to play a physical game.

“We need to stand our ground defensively, and we need to finish with box outs as well as having a desire to get the ball.”

Regardless of the tournament game outcome, Ledesma believes the experience from this season will build their future.

“We’re laying the groundwork for another good, successful season run in a year or two.”

Next year’s team will come in with eight returning letterwinners, and they will already understand the plan.

Ledesma knows he will have established the team’s offense, and they will know the defensive philosophy.

“This year, we had to spend our first three weeks trying to teach those things. With them already in place, we can hit the ground running.”

The lack of summer experience hurt the Bulldogs because Ledesma believes that is the time for them to learn to work together.

All of that should change for next year, and coupled with the infusion of a strong freshmen class, Ledesma sees next year’s Bulldogs as a team poised to turn its misfortunes around.

“We should be a very deep team, and we are only going to keep getting better,” he added.