Brownstown seniors Andrea Bair and Emma Klinge said there’s no better feeling than cutting down the nets, and that’s what they hope to feel at the end of this 2021-22 season.

The first step to that long, grueling process will be this Saturday when the Braves travel to Corydon Central for the season-opener at 7:30 p.m.

“I think it’s very important that we work on the little things Saturday,” Bair said. “We have a lot of young girls, and I think it’s very important that we communicate during the game.”

With the young players that Bair mentioned, the two seniors feel that it is important for them to step up and lead.

“Give them confidence and let them know freshman year is going to be a lot different than middle school,” Klinge said.

Brownstown is losing a walking double-double in Katherine Benter from last season, and the only double-digit scorer the Braves are returning is Maddy Hackman.

There’s a lot of experience mixed with inexperience on this Braves roster.

“We’re gonna have to find ways to put the ball in the hole,” head coach Brandon Allman said. “We’re working on finishing around the rim and our passing.”

Klinge thinks the Braves will be a good shooting team. She thinks the team needs to drive the gaps and push it up the floor and play with a quick pace.

Brownstown isn’t the tallest team, so team rebounding will also be a big key for the Braves, much like it was last season.

“Team rebounding is gonna be huge,” Allman said. “Five girls are gonna have to crash the defensive glass. Four girls have to crash the offensive glass. Ideally in the game of basketball, the best way to generate an open three is off an offensive rebound.”

The Braves also opened last season against Corydon Central, and they won the game 66-61 in overtime.

The Panthers’ Ava Weber scored 38 points in that game, and Allman hopes that doesn’t happen again.

“She’s tall and athletic,” Allman said. “We’re gonna make sure that she can’t have a big number on us.”

Other keys for Saturday’s opening contest will be taking care of the basketball and limiting turnovers.

In Brownstown’s scrimmage earlier this week, Allman said the passing wasn’t as crisp as he’d like, and that needs to be fixed for the team to be successful.

“I think the last couple of practices our chemistry has definitely formed,” Bair said. “I think if we all work together, we can have a really bright season. I think we’ll do well.”

Brownstown also plays a tough schedule, which the two seniors agree only makes the team work harder in practice.

“We’re definitely a lot stronger by the end of the season,” Klinge said.