SIDNEY — The amount of players Sidney coach Jamal Foster was expecting to have this year was a bit more than the number that came out when practices began in late October.
There are just 15 players in the program. There’s no freshman team, and playing junior varsity games has been tricky at times.
But as the “all we need,” slogan the program has adopted and wears on warmup jerseys implies, Foster said the Yellow Jackets have enough to win.
And the wins keep coming for the varsity squad.
Sidney beat Xenia 57-19 on Wednesday to win its seventh consecutive game and sixth consecutive Miami Valley League contest.
“We don’t have the numbers we expected, but we weren’t going to quit because of it,” Foster said. “It’s value in the players we have. They busted their tails all offseason. They came in ready to play. Fifteen players is all we have, but that’s all we need to go out there and compete.
“Our mission didn’t change. ‘All we need’ just made sense. I think that’s our mentality when we come out here and perform in front of these crowds. They’ll say, ‘They don’t have a lot, but that’s all they need.’”
The squad’s numbers have gotten lower — and will continue to.
Junior guard Lexee Brewer, who is a three-year starter, suffered a season-ending knee injury last Wednesday at Stebbins.
Junior forward Regan Clark, who transferred from Jackson Center, won’t be able to play the second half of the season due to Ohio High School Athletic Association transfer rules.
The adjustment process is ongoing for Sidney (7-1, 6-0 MVL Valley).
Sophomore guard Kiara Hudgins has taken over at point guard since Brewer’s injury. Hudgins is a normal starter and played extensively as a freshman. She played at point guard in middle school and plays the position in AAU, so the transition hasn’t been difficult.
“I just try to keep the tempo going as we did when Lexee was there,” Hudgins said. “Keep the defense going, and the offense. I have to keep it going and be a leader.”
Hudgins doesn’t have to worry about having scorers to pass to. Aside from Clark, who is averaging over 10 points per game, junior guard Allie Stockton and freshmen guards Jordan Scully and Larkyn Vordemark all average over eight points per game.
Hudgins can score when needed to. She led the team with 14 points in a 64-18 win over Stebbins on Monday and made 7-of-10 shots from the floor. She also had seven assists.
“Whenever I really need to, I’ll get myself some shots,” Hudgins said. “But since we have good shooters, I just move the ball around, either drive and collapse and kick it out, but I don’t really need to score that much. If I need to, then I’ll try to.”
Foster said the effort to replace Brewer’s contributions extends throughout the team.
“You don’t have those type of players every day. She’s one of the top players in the league,” Foster said. “You’re not going to replace her with one person, but we’re doing it collectively. Each girl is picking up the slack in different areas. They’re really picking her up while she’s down. I’m really proud of them, how they’re playing as a unit.”
Sidney will try to keep the streak alive during a tough stretch to end the year, starting with a road trip to Troy on Saturday. The Trojans (4-4, 4-1 MVL Miami) have won three consecutive games since the return of star Macie Taylor, who is a Wright State signee. She set the program’s all-time scoring record in a win in Vandalia on Wednesday.
Sidney is scheduled to travel to West Carrollton (7-0, 4-0 MVL Valley) this Wednesday and close the year by hosting Tippecanoe (3-3, 2-2) on Dec. 29.
“We have to be us,” Foster said. “We have to guard. Continue to play our game. Stay versatile. I feel like we’re playing for something bigger than what we have going on. But it’s game-by-game. We’re not overlooking anybody.”
Sidney shot poorly in the first quarter on Wednesday but still built a 20-2 lead by the buzzer. The squad used a 17-4 scoring edge in the second to take a 37-6 halftime lead.
The Yellow Jackets quickly pushed the margin over 35 points in the third to start a running clock. They finished the third with a 15-9 advantage followed with a 5-4 edge in the fourth.
Stockton led the squad with 19 points. Vordemark and Clark each scored 11 and Scully scored 10.
