The Lady Eagle basketball team will play Idalou Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Idalou High School. Idalou is ranked number one in the state for class 3A.

The Lady Eagles are 5-1 in their preseason play, including the First United Bank Shootout tournament. Five seniors, three juniors, six sophomores and one freshman make up the team.

“Every one of these players bring something different and unique,” senior Ryan Patterson said. “With having such a young team, I have noticed a different type of energy in the gym. This energy is contagious throughout the whole gym. It has changed attitudes and work ethic in our program and is making us a better team.”

Patterson said one of the team’s goals this season is to win state, but they must continue to improve to achieve it.

“Key for this team is outworking everyone in the state,” Patterson said. “Since we have a young, inexperienced team, we will have to work together to overcome some big challenges that come with that.”

This year, the Lady Eagles’ motto is “‘C’ Us Rise.”

“We have many strengths,” Patterson said. “I would say the chemistry and the ‘want to’ of our team are so much different than any other team.”

Senior Caitlynne Speegle said the biggest key to the team this year is their outside team bonding.

“Every great team has some sort of connection, whether it be team chemistry or love for each other,” Speegle said. “I feel like the biggest key to us being awesome is loving each other and wanting to play for each other, not ourselves.”

Speegle said the team’s biggest strength this year is the depth on the bench.

“We could literally start a different five every game and the next five off the bench would be just as good or just as reliable as the first five,” Speegle said. “Everyone wants to win. They work hard every day. It’s about us out working every team and wanting it more than every team and us rising into an awesome program week by week.”