To succeed in basketball, all five players must consistently be on the same page. As the Scorpions high schoolers and newer girls get acclimated, it is time to get the veterans up to speed.

“Practice has been alright, we have been getting a few new girls in with school letting out,” NAZ Select coach Kirk Westervelt said. “Some girls are working this summer but we get what we get and the girls at practice continue to improve.”

Twenty-three Sedona girls took part in the Scorpions girls’ basketball informational meeting, including 16 underclassmen and incoming freshmen.

“I am not too mandatory about summer practice,” Westervelt said. “To me, it is skill, the desire to play and who shows up ready to work.”

Last season, the Scorpions finished 4-14, good for fifth in the 2A Central region and 31st in the state.

Up next for NAZ Select is a tournament hosted by Flagstaff High School on Friday, June 14.

“We have a six-month project and to me, age is not a factor,” Westervelt said. “If I start three freshmen on the varsity team, then so be it.”

For the young Scorpions, veteran leadership will be crucial to team success.

“Mary [Westervelt] has played in a state championship game as a freshman, so she knows what it takes to win,” Westervelt said. “Some people crack under pressure and we need people that can equalize the pressure.”

Mary Westervelt returns for the Scorpions and earned second-team all-region honors during the 2017-18 season.

After missing most of last season with an ACL injury, Westervelt is inching closer to her all-regional form.

“She ran on Tuesday night for three eight-minute quarters and fared pretty well,” Westervelt said. “I would say she is 75 to 80% healthy.”

Sophomores Emma Beattie and Stephanie Medel also return next season to big expectations.

In just her first season on varsity, Medel earned 2A Central second-team all region honors.

Though Beattie is recovering from an injury suffered during track season, she should be good to go next season.

“Emma is a little nicked up from her hamstring injury but we told her to take as much time as she needs,” Westervelt said. “We would rather her take a few weeks off than deal with a lingering injury for months at a time.”

While the girls may need time getting acclimated to the system, the team has a strong trust in one another.

“Obviously the younger players have to learn the pecking order but that is at all levels,” Westervelt said. “While we are currently missing half our team, team chemistry has been pretty good overall.”

For Westervelt, the Scorpions ideal flex offense is an efficient, well-oiled machine.

“We want five highly-skilled offensive players where multiple girls can fill the responsibility of point guard,” Westervelt said. “We want them setting good screens, knowing when to roll to the basket and just playing good basketball.”

“If we call a set and you can beat your girl off the dribble, have at it.”

While the Flex offense can have difficult concepts to grasp, Westervelt also wants the girls to play freely.

“I do not want to micromanage kids, I want them to be ballplayers and not robots,” Westervelt said. “On offense, they have to know all five positions in each set but we run it everyday in practice.”

“We will not necessarily play positionless ball as sometimes we will play man-to-man or throw a couple posts into a zone defense.”

Defensively, Westervelt envisions an attacking and relentless bunch this season.

“Our main responsibility is blocking out as we do not want to give up second chance opportunities,” Westervelt said. “We just want to play a physical, hounding defense.”

Next month, NAZ Select will participate in the Bradshaw Mountain Tournament on Tuesday, June 25.

“You can go undefeated in June and it does not make any difference,” Westervelt said. “It is about improving our players and healing injuries suffered during the spring sports season.”