Junior Vanessa Castellanos attemps a free throw shot during a regular season game against the NSAA class B No. 8 Huskies on january 9, 2026. Joarcy Sanchez.
By JOARCY SANCHEZ, Staff
SCHUYLER, Neb. (Feb. 4, 2026)—Schuyler Girl’s Warrior Basketball is past the halfway point of their season, and they have competed, on average, two times every week since December 4, 2025. Although they have a smaller roster than last season, they continue to show up to regular games and practices.
They have faced multiple top ranked teams this January, including No. 8 Aurora and No. 9 York, both of NSAA Class B, and Class C1’s No. 10 Central City.
The starting lineup and the team bench look different from past seasons, consisting mainly of underclassmen.
Although they have not won a single regular season game, their players have seen physical and mental improvements in the ways that they play and compete on the court.
Vanessa Castellanos is a junior who starts on varsity for the team, and she has gained more playing time than last year. She currently leads in points per game and in rebounds per game. She says she has improved many things since last year.
“Mostly with my mental game, I improved that a lot,” Castellanos said. Things such as having a stronger mindset is something that she has improved, she says. She also says that she has improved her team skills on the court.
Freshman Cierra Novotny is a newcomer and a starter for the Warriors. She leads the team with the most blocks per game. “I think I’ve improved a lot just like communication on the court overall,” Novotny said.
Novotny competes for her team, and not for herself. “Being there for my teammates, rather than being there for myself, and playing for the team and not just for myself” she said.
“Honestly, the whole team motivates me. I’m a freshman–so all the upperclassmen keep motivating me”, Novotny said.
She also said that the team motivates her and everyone else to keep competing at their best.
Novotny’s first year on varsity and in high school basketball has been different from middle school basketball, “ We have practice for longer everyday, sometimes even over the breaks, and we have more games, more competitiveness,” she said.
Although the recorded losses, 17, may overwhelm other players, the Warriors keep staying competitive and motivated at their games. “My teammates, they motivate me a lot, and they tell me what to improve on the court,” Castellanos said.
