BY DANI TIETZ
dani@sjodaily.com
What can a team that only returns one starter from its third-place state finish do in the followup year?
St. Joseph-Ogden’s Taylor Barnes believes the Spartans’ girls’ basketball team can do a lot.
And from the beginning of the season, Barnes has had her actions set on leading the team to produce something special.
“As a team, a goal is to win regionals — since we host it — but I believe we can do a lot more,” Barnes said. “I think if we all work together we can do great things during the season.”
The Spartans are already off to a 15-4 start, including two defensive efforts that held their opponents to less than 20 points.
“We have lost some games, but we’ve learned a lot from those losses and I think they have ultimately made us a better team,” she said.
Barnes took to the court competitively beginning with the fifth-grade program at Prairieview-Ogden Elementary.
“It was a very small school, so I played a lot,” she said. “I’ve stuck with playing basketball because I just really enjoy the sport and I love my teammates that come with it.”
She’s also grateful for the variety of coaches she’s had in the last eight years for helping to develop her game.
“Two coaches that I think have played a huge role in my basketball career are Rachel Hurliman (sixth-grade coach) and Kevin Taylor (current varsity coach),” she said. “These two coaches have pushed me a lot as a player, and have helped me develop into the player I am today.”
During her senior year, Barnes has appeared in all 19 games, contributing 5.2 points per game. Of the 32 field goals she’s made, 16 are three-pointers, placing her second on the team for three-point goals made.
But points aren’t the most important part of Barnes’ game.
“Each time I step onto the court I want to bring leadership,” she said. “(I want to) play with confidence and continue to be a leader for the team on and off the court.”
Barnes has taken a cue from her older siblings and the Spartans who have come before her. She’s focused on leading the way through communication and demonstration.
As she graduates, her fondest memory may be the 2019 St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ team that placed third in the IHSA Class 2A state tournament.
“It means the world to me,” she said. “All of the girls on the team last year got a lot closer, and we have a special bond that I will never forget.”
She’ll also hold the memories of the community which has come to support the Spartans over the years she’s played.
“The support from the SJO community is amazing,” she said. “Especially after the run to state last year, I think the support from the community has only gotten stronger. I love being at home games and seeing the community in the stands cheering us on.”
