The Old Rochester Regional girls basketball team is having its best season in years, and the players are ready to take full advantage of it.

“We want the conference championship,” senior co-captain Emma Collings said. “And then we can focus on a bigger goal.”

While a historically successful program, the team has had a few down years. However, currently sitting at 14-4 and in a three-way tie at the top of the conference, this year’s team has already qualified for the South Coast Conference tournament.

“We’ve continued to improve as the season has gone on,” head coach Bob Hohne said. “We have a lot of depth on our team. A freshman is leading the team in rebounds.”

The team struggled to score early on in the season and had a tough time scoring even 30 points a game.

In the past handful of games, however, the team has been able to put up 50 points.

“We’ve made a huge leap forward,” Hohne said. “The entire team has started to develop its identity.”

Hohne has coached the girls basketball team for 39 years, and while he generally thinks of himself as a defensive coach, the identity of his teams is always different.

“I don’t stick to a system,” he said. “I find a system that works for the talent we have.”

Sophia Church, another co-captain, agreed that finding the team’s game as the season went on helped with offense.

“I think in the beginning of the season we were still trying to find our team,” she said. “It was hard. The chemistry was off.”

But instead of falling apart, the team found ways to pull together.

From sharing meals to sharing jokes in group chats, the players know how important it is to be unified.

“We had team dinners to bond and we really welcomed the freshmen” Church said.

Senior co-captain Emily Hiller also attributed the team’s success to the friendship the players have fostered.

“I think everyone’s a lot closer this year, and everyone takes criticism really well,” she said. “It’s all about communication. We listen to each other. Whether you’re a captain or not, anyone can help.”

Collings said this closeness is different than past years on the team, where there tended to be a rivalry between younger incoming players and the older returning players.

“Last year there was butting heads, but this year we’re together,” she said. “It’s been really good. We’ve got good mojo.”

As the team plays its final stretch before the playoffs, the players can go into games knowing they’ve already secured a spot in the postseason.

They can also be confident that they’ll go even further.

“It’s awesome, it’s really rewarding,” Hiller said. “We’re a wicked good team.”