By Jeffery Laux
Sports Editor
The Apopka Women’s basketball team will be kicking off their season with a match against tough in-conference rival Dr. Phillips. This match will take play the 28th of November at 7:00. The Women’s team is coming off of an 11 win season in which they made the playoffs to ultimately fall to the Wekiva Mustangs by only two points. After winning 8 out of their 9 games at home last season they hope they can continue the streak for this upcoming season. Cassandra Lombardi hopes to continue her dominant stance on the game of basketball, as she has developed into a leader due to the fact she’s the most experienced player on the team. I had the chance to speak to Coach Hardy and she gives me the notion that she needs Lombardi to lead this young and inexperienced team. She hopes to run a fast tempo and physical team that can use their streaky shooters to put points up on the board. They hope to focus on developing a dynasty as half of the team consists of underclassmen. Hardy mentions that this is the “youngest team” she has ever had to coach before but she accepts the challenge as she’s a coach who will give it her all each and every day.
Coach Hardy bleeds blue & white, as she can’t envision herself coaching anywhere else besides at Apopka. She has grown up in this town, has played ball for this town, and has now taken the reigns of this town’s women basketball team. She still remembers the glory days of her time here as a player, as her team went to the Final Four in the playoffs in 2008, she still talks to her close teammates each day. The biggest influence in her life has been her loving father. He has shaped her work ethic and has taught her the ropes of the game of basketball. As a coach, she wants her players to work hard, whether on or off the court, as she envisions her players becoming doctors, lawyers, and professional athletes. Each and every game she wants to improve more and more and then go deep into the playoffs.