Undefeated Lady Vikings have high hopes
Wareham's Lady Vikings basketball team is undefeated so far this season, and they have a new coach at the helm who hopes to take them all the way to the state tournament.
Coach Dave Brogioli has high hopes for his players, including junior Amber Filkins who, with the season barely underway, has already tied the boys' record for most 3-pointers in a game.
Filkins scored eight 3-pointers -- seven of which were in the first half -- in the Lady Vikings' Dec. 18 victory over Seekonk.
“Amber’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever coached,” said Brogioli.
Filkins has high expectations for herself and the team this season.
“Obviously, we want to prove everyone wrong. We know we’re coming in as the underdogs, and we really want to make a statement,” said Filkins.
Brogioli also praised junior Breanna Muir, saying, “She is an excellent all-around player.”
Muir leads the team in assists, and is second in scoring.
Muir noted that she has made progress since last year.
“I used to be just a shooting guard, off to the side,” she said. But now she plays a more central role on the team. Muir's goals for the season are “to improve as a team, come together, and hopefully win the state championship."
This is Brogioli’s first season coaching the Lady Vikings basketball team, but it’s certainly not his first time around the basketball block. He coached the Fairhaven girls basketball team for seven years, taking them to the state tournament in 2008.
“It’s still so early in the season, but we have enough talent that if we can come together as a team and play team basketball," he believes they can get to the state tournament.
Brogioli took over for Coach Robert Rojik, who retired from coaching last year, though remains a teacher at Wareham High.
Brogioli says that while the Vikings are certainly talented, they lack the depth of some of the other teams they’ll be facing this season.
“When I was at Fairhaven, we had about 35 players … that’s a challenge to get the numbers back, but I think we will in time.”
Between junior varsity and varsity, the Lady Vikings have just 19 players, Brogioli said. Not what you’d call a deep bench.
Brogioli says that he is looking to do outreach with youth basketball teams in the area in order to bolster the roster over the next few seasons.
“We’re just looking to build the program up, get it to a higher level, and keep it there,” he said.
Brogioli says that while the girls have been steamrolling over teams so far, they will be facing stronger teams in the weeks ahead. Brogioli expects some of the biggest competition to come from Old Rochester Regional and Bourne.
“We do have some potential," Brogioli said. "We’re just going to work hard every day and get ready for the better teams in the conference.”
The Lady Vikings next play Case High School at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28.