Mount View High School in Thorndike is not fielding a junior varsity girls basketball team this season due to a lack of players.
There are only 14 girls in the program, all of whom are on the Mustangs’ varsity squad.
However, second-year head coach Tony Staffiere and first-year athletic director Chris Moreau are hopeful that they will be able to field a JV team next season.
Staffiere said Mount View will try to play a handful of JV games this season but, “we couldn’t commit to a full 18-game JV schedule.
“We want our girls to have the opportunity to compete on game day,” said Staffiere.
Moreau said in order to play a full JV schedule, several of the 14 girls would have had to “swing” between the varsity and JV teams and they didn’t want their girls to get “overtired or injured” because of it.
“We don’t want to risk their health,” added Staffiere.
“We’re in a little bit of a lull right now so we thought it was appropriate to dial it back for this season,” said Moreau, who added that “we have a very strong youth program” with good numbers.
Mount View has an enrollment of 452 and competes in Class B North for basketball. The school includes students from 11 different towns.
The Mustangs have just one senior and one freshman on the team after graduating three players off last season’s squad, which went 6-12 and finished 15th among 17 teams in Class B North.
The Mustangs, who had 17 players between their varsity and JV teams, lost three double-overtime games.
In addition to the three graduates, three other players didn’t play this season. One underwent knee surgery and the other two are members of the school chorus.
Staffiere said there are good numbers in the eighth grade class who will be freshmen next season and added, “I have every bit of confidence in our feeder program.”
“The numbers have been low historically in this sport,” said Moreau. “But we’re excited about moving forward and where we’re headed with our program.
“I”m excited about our coaching staff. We have the right people in place. We will rise again,” said Moreau. “I’ve had the pleasure to sit in on a half-dozen practices this year and I couldn’t be happier about the way the kids are being instructed and how they are learning the game. It is really top-shelf.”
Staffiere said practices are pretty much the same as they were a year ago when they had a JV team.
“In terms of practice focus and logistics, nothing has changed. We practiced jointly anyway,” said Staffiere, whose sessions last 90 minutes.
He said if they play some JV games this season, they are more likely to be held on weekends when there are more officials available.
The Mustangs, who went 22-68 in the five seasons before Staffiere took over last year, open the season Friday at 6:30 p.m. when they entertain Winslow.