Many of the girls playing basketball for Wallowa High School were on last year’s 1-21 team, but they now play a different style.

Now, the Lady Cougars attack first, instead of hesitating. Now, the opponents are the ones left scrambling for help. In the Cougars’ 50-17 win on Saturday, Dec. 15, Arlington High School scurried, trying to elude Wallowa defenders who crowded the backcourt in a full-court press. But they only managed to turn over the ball repeatedly. Last year, the Cougars were hopeless in the face of a press. Now, they’re happily employing that kind of defense.

“The press is what gives us the extra ‘mphf’ that pushes us,” junior Ayesha Wortman said.

Swallowing my pride, I needed Ayesha to confirm my spelling. The trusty ol’ dictionary I carry around in my hat didn’t include the word “mphf.” Webster is limited when it comes to expressions invented in the sports world. Sometimes, it’s hard to capture the emotion that goes along with athletics. A single word in the English language doesn’t always do justice. Give Ayesha credit for some creativity.

The Lady Cougars’ drastic turnaround has left a lot of people speechless. The seniors – Monique McKenzie, Brittany Mayton, and Mallory Turner – recruited girls around school for basketball. Seeds were planted in the fall, when Wallowa volleyball played well with a young team that included sophomore Meagan McKenzie as well as freshmen Kuulei Delatori and Jesica Bingham. But who would have expected them to mesh so well this early?

Underclassmen play important roles. Sophomore Angela Burns is another speedy and smart guard in the backcourt. She, along with Delatori and Bingham, keep Turner, Wortman and Mayton well rested. Opponents also have to worry about the forwards: sophomore Megan Goller, junior Judith Shike, Monique McKenzie and her younger sister Meagan.

With such as deep roster, the Cougars can be exhaustive and wear out their opposition.

“We have some pretty fast girls and know each other a lot better,” Wortman said. “We’ve practiced enough to understand that once we make a basket, each of us is responsible to find her man and set up the press. We can expect teammates to be in position and help set a trap. At the same time, we know when to fall back to our regular defense.”

Another positive that comes with a young team is its short collective memory. The underclassmen didn’t have to live through the same frustrations or demoralizing losses that last year’s team went through. The current girls’ basketball team is a nice mix. The seniors and juniors learned hard lessons from recent seasons. They have wisdom and know how to cope with disappointment. On the same team, however, there are sophomores and freshman to start new with enthusiasm.

“Last year, we had that one good game, the (district playoff),” Wortman said of Wallowa’s 53-46 loss to Cove on Feb. 14. “We finally started scoring. Too bad it was the last game. But this year, we have that ‘mphf’ I was talking about.”

Hector del Castillo is the Chieftain’s sportswriter. E-mail comments and questions to hdelcastillo@wallowa.com.