The upswing for South Whidbey girls basketball may start this season.

After struggling with a squad loaded with freshmen and sophomores last year to three wins and missing the postseason, this year’s team will need to play poised on offense and disciplined on defense. Almost 30 girls turned out to play Falcon hoops.

“This year, our goal is to win more games, make it to the postseason,” Falcon senior Abby Hodson said.

Both elements were emphasized during drills in the first week of practice. Head coach Andy Davis, in his fifth season, has more help than ever which he’ll need to teach one of the largest programs it’s seen since he took over in 2010. The official junior varsity assistant is Jeff Hanson, who formerly coached the boys JV team, but a pair of other regular volunteers chip in.

None of them are afraid of directly pointing out mistakes during drills. Davis, who has not coached a winning season since he took over, knows that to get his team turned around, it starts with defense and limiting turnovers.

That means players knowing where they need to be when playing a zone, or how far they can be in man-to-man defense. It especially means players staying calm under defensive pressure when the ball is in their hands and not “throwing it away,” as Davis pointed out several times during a recent full-court scrimmage.

“I love doing that drill. I wish we could just do that, a massive five-on-five game all practice long. That helps a lot. It gets us in good shape.”

South Whidbey lost only one senior to graduation and returns the majority of its varsity lineup. Leading the team’s attack will be sophomore Megan Drake and Hodson.

For South Whidbey to get back to the playoffs, it will have to try to overtake reclassified 1A Sultan and new Cascade Conference member Cedar Park Christian. At the top of the league’s standings last year was King’s with a 14-0 conference record — the team lost in the state championship.

“King’s in basketball is a whole other story,” Hodson said. “They’ve always had a fast offense.”

Hodson is counting on team unity to carry them through the long season that stretches from November to February. She noted that extensive open gyms in the offseason and a team camp helped strengthen the bonds of a team that lost only one player from last year’s squad.

“It’s so much fun,” Hodson said. “As long as we play hard, it’s not ever a bad time.”

The island rivalry continues between South Whidbey and Coupeville, despite the Wolves’ departure from the Cascade Conference this year. Each team gets a home game against its rival, with the Falcons opening the season by hosting the Wolves on Dec. 2.

Hodson and fellow senior Mykayla Ferguson helped restart the Falcon buddies program that pairs elementary school students with high school athletes. It’s designed to inspire them to pursue a sport, and Hodson said it worked on her as a girl.