NORTHVILLE — The Northville girls’ basketball team started the 2023-24 season with a new coach, and a lot of uncertainty.
Now, the Falcons are headed to the NYSPHSAA Class D semifinals.
“I don’t think anyone really did,” Northville’s Lily Klippel said on whether she thought her team could reach the state semifinals this season. “We started off the season with basically a whole new team and new coach. As the season went on, we progressed, but I’m not sure we thought we’d get here. It’s just so exciting now that we’re here.”
Northville, which is 20-3 overall, will take on Section 5’s Elba today at 12:30 p.m. at Hudson Valley Community College.
“This week was definitely more intense,” Northville standout junior Hailey Monroe said of the Falcons’ preparation. “We know it’s going to be the last week, and we even have some more players coming in to help us with defense, since we have low numbers. It’s been a little more intense, but it’s exciting.”
“Ever since I started playing, this is something that I’ve wanted,” she said on reaching the pinnacle of New York State basketball. “I wanted it so bad freshman year, and we lost. We were right there sophomore year, and lost again. This year, it’s crazy. It’s so exciting.”
When the season began, Northville had to get accustomed to its new coach, New York State Basketball half of famer, Jim Zullo.
“His knowledge is insane,” Monroe said. “The way he scouts is so good and I truly think we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”
Zullo, 80, coached the 1987 Shenendehowa boys’ basketball team to a state championship. His expectations of leading a championship-caliber team have not changed.
“There’s days where you’re so mad at him because he’s yelling at you, but then we go and beat a team we should probably lose to,” Monroe said. “And then we realize it was worth it.”
“A lot of coaches will tell you you’re doing something wrong two or three times, and then they’ll let it go,” added Northville sophomore Keira MacKey. “The difference with coach Zullo is that he’ll tell you you’re doing it wrong 20 times until you get it right.
“It just really shows where hard work can get you. We had players with skills, but now we know what each player is best at and how we can all contribute to put it all together.”
The big difference in Zullo’s expectations, compared to what the Falcons were used to, is defense.
“Coach Zullo focused a lot on defense,” Klippel said. “We do a lot of defense drills and that’s what wins us our games.”
“I always thought I would rest on defense when we got to the zone [last year], but this year coach has definitely told us that defense is not the time to rest,” MacKey said. “It definitely takes a lot more out of you.”
The players know that through their frustrations and growing pains, their commitment and hard work has paid off with an opportunity to play for a state title.
“Coach knows we can get better and he knows what he can get out of us,” MacKey said. “He also tells you when you do something good, and you’ll be proud that you’re getting better. Everyone on the team knows that the only reason we’re here is because he’s like that.”
For Monroe, she isn’t just content with reaching the semifinals. She’s coming to play.
“I want to be able to two-peat it,” Monroe said. “I don’t want it to just be like, ‘Oh, we got far.’ I want everyone to get that experience of winning it all.”