Player Profile: Hillsboro Lady Indians
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
This group of Hillsboro girls basketball seniors not only want to have an improved season, but want to be a part of the rebuilding of the Lady Indian program that has seen struggles the past few seasons.
The trio of Whitney Earley, Danielle Gillman and Carey Juillerat are poised to not just play for the Lady Indians this season, but continue to help improve the program at both the varsity level and the younger levels as well.
They want to leave the program in better shape than when they entered high school four years ago.
"From a young age, I grew a passion for basketball. Knowing we had younger girls below us, knowing they had talent, made me want to stick with it," Earley said. "Once I played for a traveling team, and I didn't want to play for school anymore. I was just getting frustrated on how it was dwindling down … but I had a coach that pushed me and told me to stick with it and I could make a difference, so that really helped."
Juillerat agreed.
"I want to get the younger kids involved with the program. We work with the fourth graders and sixth graders, so I'm looking forward to getting them excited," Juillerat said. "Like Whitney said, we are leaving, and we want to leave an impression on the team and how it should be the next few years."
All three have their own unique story of how they first got involved, as they were the same age as the kids who they would like to get involved in the program one day.
"My sisters played, and I always went to every game. I always watched the both of them," Gillman said. "I remember these guys (looking at Whitney and Carey) were like, 'Hey, you should play basketball.' I was like 'OK,' and I just stuck with it."
"I grew up watching both my brothers playing basketball and then I got into it," Juillerat said. "They started showing me different moves. I was probably about third grade in HCAC league."
"I got started because of my dad (Rick Earley). He was always a coach," Earley said. "I was always around sports because he was an athletic director, so I guess it was probably because of my dad.
"I played in youth leagues in Hillsboro. Actually, the three of us have played together since the fifth grade."
This group of seniors said they haven't had much consistency throughout their high school career with three different coaches and classmates deciding to take a different path while in high school. Then last year, they spoke about a new constant that stayed with them into this season … head coach JR Moberly.
"I think it is cool we are improving because we have had a lot of challenges through the years. We've had a new coach almost every couple years," Earley said. "This is our third coach in high school, so it is really hard for us to make that program change. To have a coach (Moberly) that is here to work with us and continue with the program, that will help it grow."
"It has been hard for us with the coaching changes. Even in middle school, every single year we'd have a different coach," Juillerat said. "It's hard to have a chemistry with your teammates when you have seniors leaving and getting something built. I think this year we are fixing that and really starting to build a program. It really helps out by having a coach two years in a row with us."
Gillman also spoke about having the same coach for a second consecutive season and building the program.
"Having people leave the team and getting new coaches has been tough, like they said. I think it has really helped making a connection with the younger kids, encouraging them and getting more people out to play to build up the program," Gillman said.
"You see yourself getting better, and you develop relationships. We have a bond that nobody can break. When we found out JR was going to be the coach, I know I was excited. I was like, 'I'm ready for this. I'm ready for the turnaround.' I know that was part of the reason I knew it was going to get better … it is better."
This season isn't just about building the program for the future for this trio, and to enjoy their final season, they have put in many hours of work in preparation for their first game.
"I'm really looking forward to the connection the three of us have on the court. We know how each other plays, and we know what we are looking for in each other because we know what each other is capable of out on the court," Earley said. "I think it is really cool we are really making a turnaround in our Hillsboro program this year. We want to leave the program by making it better."
"It's kind of bittersweet because it is the beginning of the end. You don't want to look at it that way, but that is the way it is," Juillerat said. "It's kind of sad because we had a bunch of other teammates, and we are the only three left, which makes it kind of special for us."
Gillman spoke at length about what this season will mean to her.
"I'm excited to see the looks on the other teams’ faces when they see how much we've gotten better. We've worked very hard to get better, so I'm excited to see a turnaround in our season and our record," she said. "It started with 15 in our grade, then it is just us three. We are like 'you know what, we made it through all these years.' Even though this is the end of this chapter of our lives, it is only the beginning of the rest of our lives."
Of course there were a couple memories which all three seniors used as motivation for this season.
"When we would huddle last season, a senior from last year (Jenni Willey) would always give us a pep talk," Gillman said. "We knew we didn't have the best record, but we wanted to play the best we could and not quit."
"I think it is awesome we get to finish this together. The three of us have been best friends forever," Earley said. "It is fun to be seniors together and getting ready to fish our high school careers together."
"Last year we played London and it was a really close game the entire time and we kept fighting, we didn't give up, and we pulled through," Juillerat said.
Earley said it was a comment from a rival team's coach that has helped through some tougher times.
"I think last year we had a very memorable year. The most inspirational moment and what made our day was when we were in Washington C.H. their coach came over to JR and said 'that was one different team,'" Earley said. "Just to have that positive compliment from somebody because we had so many negative throughout the year it really made me want to keep going, and it really helped out."
As with the start of the season nearby … Earley talked about what it will be like to finish their careers together.
"I think it is awesome we get to finish this together. The three of us have been best friends forever," Earley said.
"It is fun to be seniors together and getting ready to finish our high school careers together."[[In-content Ad]]
The trio of Whitney Earley, Danielle Gillman and Carey Juillerat are poised to not just play for the Lady Indians this season, but continue to help improve the program at both the varsity level and the younger levels as well.
They want to leave the program in better shape than when they entered high school four years ago.
"From a young age, I grew a passion for basketball. Knowing we had younger girls below us, knowing they had talent, made me want to stick with it," Earley said. "Once I played for a traveling team, and I didn't want to play for school anymore. I was just getting frustrated on how it was dwindling down … but I had a coach that pushed me and told me to stick with it and I could make a difference, so that really helped."
Juillerat agreed.
"I want to get the younger kids involved with the program. We work with the fourth graders and sixth graders, so I'm looking forward to getting them excited," Juillerat said. "Like Whitney said, we are leaving, and we want to leave an impression on the team and how it should be the next few years."
All three have their own unique story of how they first got involved, as they were the same age as the kids who they would like to get involved in the program one day.
"My sisters played, and I always went to every game. I always watched the both of them," Gillman said. "I remember these guys (looking at Whitney and Carey) were like, 'Hey, you should play basketball.' I was like 'OK,' and I just stuck with it."
"I grew up watching both my brothers playing basketball and then I got into it," Juillerat said. "They started showing me different moves. I was probably about third grade in HCAC league."
"I got started because of my dad (Rick Earley). He was always a coach," Earley said. "I was always around sports because he was an athletic director, so I guess it was probably because of my dad.
"I played in youth leagues in Hillsboro. Actually, the three of us have played together since the fifth grade."
This group of seniors said they haven't had much consistency throughout their high school career with three different coaches and classmates deciding to take a different path while in high school. Then last year, they spoke about a new constant that stayed with them into this season … head coach JR Moberly.
"I think it is cool we are improving because we have had a lot of challenges through the years. We've had a new coach almost every couple years," Earley said. "This is our third coach in high school, so it is really hard for us to make that program change. To have a coach (Moberly) that is here to work with us and continue with the program, that will help it grow."
"It has been hard for us with the coaching changes. Even in middle school, every single year we'd have a different coach," Juillerat said. "It's hard to have a chemistry with your teammates when you have seniors leaving and getting something built. I think this year we are fixing that and really starting to build a program. It really helps out by having a coach two years in a row with us."
Gillman also spoke about having the same coach for a second consecutive season and building the program.
"Having people leave the team and getting new coaches has been tough, like they said. I think it has really helped making a connection with the younger kids, encouraging them and getting more people out to play to build up the program," Gillman said.
"You see yourself getting better, and you develop relationships. We have a bond that nobody can break. When we found out JR was going to be the coach, I know I was excited. I was like, 'I'm ready for this. I'm ready for the turnaround.' I know that was part of the reason I knew it was going to get better … it is better."
This season isn't just about building the program for the future for this trio, and to enjoy their final season, they have put in many hours of work in preparation for their first game.
"I'm really looking forward to the connection the three of us have on the court. We know how each other plays, and we know what we are looking for in each other because we know what each other is capable of out on the court," Earley said. "I think it is really cool we are really making a turnaround in our Hillsboro program this year. We want to leave the program by making it better."
"It's kind of bittersweet because it is the beginning of the end. You don't want to look at it that way, but that is the way it is," Juillerat said. "It's kind of sad because we had a bunch of other teammates, and we are the only three left, which makes it kind of special for us."
Gillman spoke at length about what this season will mean to her.
"I'm excited to see the looks on the other teams’ faces when they see how much we've gotten better. We've worked very hard to get better, so I'm excited to see a turnaround in our season and our record," she said. "It started with 15 in our grade, then it is just us three. We are like 'you know what, we made it through all these years.' Even though this is the end of this chapter of our lives, it is only the beginning of the rest of our lives."
Of course there were a couple memories which all three seniors used as motivation for this season.
"When we would huddle last season, a senior from last year (Jenni Willey) would always give us a pep talk," Gillman said. "We knew we didn't have the best record, but we wanted to play the best we could and not quit."
"I think it is awesome we get to finish this together. The three of us have been best friends forever," Earley said. "It is fun to be seniors together and getting ready to fish our high school careers together."
"Last year we played London and it was a really close game the entire time and we kept fighting, we didn't give up, and we pulled through," Juillerat said.
Earley said it was a comment from a rival team's coach that has helped through some tougher times.
"I think last year we had a very memorable year. The most inspirational moment and what made our day was when we were in Washington C.H. their coach came over to JR and said 'that was one different team,'" Earley said. "Just to have that positive compliment from somebody because we had so many negative throughout the year it really made me want to keep going, and it really helped out."
As with the start of the season nearby … Earley talked about what it will be like to finish their careers together.
"I think it is awesome we get to finish this together. The three of us have been best friends forever," Earley said.
"It is fun to be seniors together and getting ready to finish our high school careers together."[[In-content Ad]]