 The Red Lake Girls basketball team has knocked on the door of the Class A state tournament the past five years, but they haven't quite made it following in the section tournament each year. But this year they're determined to make that next step. Of the ten players on this year's Red Lake Girls basketball team, only four are seniors. But that doesn't mean the expectations for this group have changed. We're ready to make it farther than we did. So our expectations are pretty high. We've been working on and off during the summer, on and off the court to be exact and we're just ready to eat. The Warriors will look to their star senior guard Grace White for success this year. White led the Warriors last season averaging nearly 24 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals per game. She's a very, very important part of our team. A lot of our stuff runs to her and she makes a lot of things happen for us on offense and on defense. We got to give her at least one touch every time we're in our offensive set. But they say they'll also need other players to step up into bigger roles. We got a lot of girls that will be able to step up at any given night. It's just what we talked about before is just having that mental focus of just coming into the game, being game ready and ready to go whenever whatever challenge comes before us. And while they know they'll have to improve on the defensive end of the court, they say their quest for a state title begins with a new attitude. I think we need to pick up the intensity and work a little bit harder. We slowly are scratching the surface to be really great and to reach our goals to go into state. So I think we really need to dig deep and really have to want it this year, more than we've ever wanted anything for our high school career. But no matter what they say, they're all in on this season. Sometimes me and Nolan, my assistant coach, we sometimes strap up our shoes too to kind of get in there and make it tough for them girls too. But whatever we do, we got to work hard at what we do and if we do that, I think we'll do just fine. We're ready to play anybody, whenever, wherever. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.