The Old Saybrook girls’ basketball team enjoyed relative success last winter. The Rams went 12-8 in the regular season, and even won a Class S State Tournament game, defeating Innovation before falling in the second round to Windham Tech. This year, Head Coach Steve Woods and his squad have even bigger aspirations, and the bar is being a set a bit higher.

“They’re relatively high,” Woods said of his expectations for 2023-24. “I think we can compete with the better teams this year. Last year we improved dramatically. We won 13 games, but we weren’t able to beat the teams that were considered the better teams in the Shoreline. We took care of all the ones we were supposed to. We didn’t beat East Hampton, Valley Regional, Cromwell. I really want to beat teams like that. This year I expect more. I want to take the next step.”

That next step is certainly off to an encouraging start, as the Rams rattled off victories over St. Bernard and Hale Ray to begin the season. However, Old Saybrook also lost to Morgan on Dec. 16, showing there’s still steps to be taken for the team to reach their ultimate goal.

Continuity is working in Old Saybrook’s favor. The Rams returned virtually their entire roster, including all five starters. Junior guard Breleigh Cooke and junior forward Kylie Lake are the top returning scorers. With Sanai Baker, Nora Kulman, and Alexandra Ling back alongside them, the Rams have plenty of talent on which to lean.

Despite the fact that there’s plenty of familiarity and chemistry among the players on the squad, Woods is still building trust in his reserves.

“We’ve got to take the next step,” Woods said. “We improved a lot last year, but we’ve got to get better. Any coach would love to have their full team back from the year before so they can continue to build. My kids played long minutes last year. We’re going to be better across the board than last year. That doesn’t mean the rest of the league isn’t going to improve too.”

East Hampton, on the heels of a Class M title, is still the clear team to beat in the Shoreline Conference. While Valley Regional was forced to cancel its season due to a shortage of players, Cromwell remains formidable.

Woods envisions three or four teams vying for position behind East Hampton. If all goes well, Old Saybrook should find itself somewhere in that mix.

“We’ve played aggressively, but we can play a heck of a lot better than we’ve played,” Woods said prior to Saturday’s loss to Morgan. “I haven’t been thrilled with our first two performances, even though I’m always happy to get a win.”

Woods is still learning who to trust and the obstacles that may linger. Juniors Samantha Hanover, Ellie Pennington and Lauren Kapp remain among the first options off the bench. Behind them, sophomore Jennifer Neigel and freshman Claire Cassella are building more credibility.

“Once they know the program a little better, they’ll see some action too,” Woods said. “I’m really high on Cassella. She’s going to be a good little point guard for us. She’s fearless, good handle, just has to learn more. But she’s already playing well.”

Woods specifically likes the balance his team has offensively. Old Saybrook isn’t overly reliant on any single player. That bodes well for the Rams, especially over the course of a long season.

Old Saybrook still has three games remaining this month, starting with a trip to Westbrook on Dec. 19. The Rams will also host Coginchaug on Dec. 21, and Windham Tech on Dec. 28. Woods wants his team’s focus to remain consistent, regardless of the competition.

“You can’t just expect to show up and play,” he said. “That’s an easy trap for any athlete to fall into. Other teams get better, other teams get fired up. Last year we surprised some teams. This year, we’re not going to sneak up on anybody.”

As such, Woods has adopted the motto, “Reach Higher.” It’s his way of reminding his players to avoid falling into a state of contentment.

“Don’t be satisfied with your performance,” he said. “Be a better sister, be a better teammate. The kids love that mentality. They really try to live by it too.”

In addition to Cooke, Lake, Baker, Kulman, Ling, Hanover, Pennington, Kapp, Neigel and Cassella, Old Saybrook’s roster includes Olivia Stone, Jillian Suarez, Emerson Cooke, Dorothy-Ellen Ferraina, Zoe Parikilas, Olivia Gormley, Gabriella Jocobsen, and Madelyz Zhuno.