Rams ready for region after a rough preseason

Highland's girls' basketball team is dealing with a lot of new things this season. New coaches, new players and a new mindset are all part of the Rams' approach this year.

Coach Kambria Davis comes armed with new ideas hoping to change the future of girls' basketball at Highland. The transition this season has been slow but steady.

"I think what I bring is intensity," Davis says. "We have intense practices and intense games. We require a lot of dedication," the former Brighton sophomore coach said.

Conditioning was not a big part of Highland practices in the past but now it is. At first, players wondered if the disciplined approach would work. Senior forward Lu Mailei says the team was reluctant to catch on in the beginning. Davis took the program over with only a few weeks to assemble a team and old habits were the first thing to go.

"The kids here are phenomenal athletes (with) great passion," Davis said. "A lot of these girls are soccer players or volleyball players and basketball is a secondary sport," she explained.

The Rams will look to point guard Ame White and forward Sia Lelea to keep the team in position for a playoff berth. White leads the team in scoring with 13 points a game. Her coach says she is a "true athlete."

Lelea is the Rams best rebounder and can score from anywhere. The senior is averaging 11 points a game.

Highland will get a boost when senior forward Lu Mailei rejoins the team this month. The talented forward is excited to return and should bolster an already physical Rams lineup.

Starting out at 1-6 wasn't what the coach had in mind, but Davis has seen some positives from the team. She believes the team is dedicated and plays with pride but admits that the younger players have struggled.

The problems stem from a combination of issues including identifying zones to calling the right out-of-bounds play. Players say that the team gets frazzled in games because of this.

To be fair, Highland has also met up with some very good competition. Playing powerhouse teams like Davis and Provo hasn't resulted in any wins but it's sharpened the Rams resolve. Despite their poor record, the team feels like they can get better.

"We've played a lot of strong teams and the only thing I can say is that it's been a learning experience. We have the potential to be a top three (in region) team. We just need to be focused," Aird says.