John Raffel
Sports Scene
Vestaburg is making some noise in the early part of the girls’ basketball season, and senior Taylor Darmody is playing no small role in that success.
She’s been playing basketball for the Wolverines since the fifth grade and has been on the varsity the last two years.
Darmody scored 21 points against Central Montcalm and also had an 18-point game. She’s averaged around 14 points a game as a post player and is averaging eight rebounds per game.
“It was a harder schedule towards the beginning of the year, so we lost a couple of games,” Darmody said. “We’re trying to get back into the hang of it. We’re 4-3, so we’re getting there. This has been my best start in high school.”
Darmody’s role mainly involves scoring, with lay-ups and putbacks accounting for much of her production. Shooting and defense have been strong parts of her game.
“For defense, I help out a lot because I’m one of the stronger persons on the team,” she said.
During the summer, Darmody played in open gyms and in a Mount Pleasant summer league.
Darmody figures the Wolverines can do well this season in the Mid-State Activities Conference and districts.
“We’re doing pretty good,” she said. “The chemistry has always been there. We don’t put each other down. We all get along. We’re close friends.
“Right now, we’re looking at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart and Montabella in districts,” she said.
It’s helped, Darmody said, to have some stability in the coaching ranks, with Gary Keyes in his second year on the bench.
“Even though he’s new, he knows our strong points and when to push us,” she said.
In the spring, Darmody will play softball.
Emma Schuh scored 16 points for Vestaburg in a 65-21 win over Coleman in early January.