RIMERSBURG — This will be a year like none other for the Union High School girls basketball program.

And coach Josh Meeker is looking forward to the challenge.

For the first time in a long time, the Damsels don't return a team with a clear-cut scorer.

In fact, Meeker doesn't have a varsity roster, let alone a starting lineup, already written in stone before the first high tops were laced and the first free throw was attempted in practice.

He has one player in senior Torri Smith who saw significant minutes last season.

"This year, they are all new," Meeker said. "Torri started and played a lot last year, but this is a whole new dynamic that we have never seen before here."

Most coaches would see that as a liability. Meeker sees it as a chance to put a bigger thumb print on the program.

He's teaching more this season than he has in his other five years combined. A bigger bulk of the practice time is being used on drills instead of putting in confounding press defenses.

"This could be one of the most enjoyable years I've had," Meeker said. "I have to do a lot of coaching. I have to do a lot of molding of these players. Everything is a big question mark right now.

"There is a question mark beside every game. We just don't know right now, and I think that's fun."

Union has made every season in recent memory fun.

The Damsels went 27-4 last year, losing in the second round of the PIAA Class A playoffs to Mt. Alvernia, 77-64.

Meeker comes into the season with a staggering career record of 129-21.

That tradition has pros and cons in Meeker's eyes.

"One of the negatives to it is putting too much pressure on these young kids," Meeker said. "But the benefit of it is there's the spark that says, 'We don't want to be the ones to end this.'"

After the loss to Mt. Alvernia last March, Smith and several of the underclassman walked to the front of the bus and said to Meeker, "We want to carry this tradition on."

"That made my day," Meeker said. "It made me excited for next season."

And now, here it is — full of unknowns.

Union boys

Union boys basketball coach Karen Davis doesn't enjoy yelling, but she finds herself doing a lot of it lately.

Davis has had to test the limits of her vocal chords this camp to try to snap her talented team out of its funk.

"I hate to have to yell and holler at them to get them to do what I want to do," Davis said. "But I have to go in and be the mean, mean person."

The Knights have a talented nucleus of players, led by seniors Spencer Varner and A.J. Ethriedge and super sophomore point guard Scott Booth.

Union can score points. But the question is can the Knights keep from turning the ball over at the alarming rate they did last season and get enough stops on the defensive end of the floor.

Both have been points of emphasis so far this camp, and both have prompted the precipitous rise in the decibel level of Davis' voice.

"Defense is about desire," Davis said. "It's not fun. It's work. It's a lot of hard work."

How is Davis trying to get her team to focus on defense?

"Well, right now, I'm running them. And I hate that."

Davis believes that if her team can come up with a few more defensive stops a game and can cut down on its average of 19 turnovers per game, some of the eight-point losses Union suffered last season can turn into wins.

The Knights went 9-15 last season, a record that, in Davis' eyes, was unacceptable given the talent.

The same will be true this season.

"We need to use our heads a little better," Davis said. "We can't be throwing the ball around. We don't use our upstairs noggins like we should. That was the frustrating part last season."

That puts all the onus on Booth, who will play most of the minutes at point guard this season as a sophomore.

Booth possesses all the skills required for the position — vision, ball handling skills and a shooting touch.

Davis will ask Booth to score a bit more this season, as well.

"That's a fine line for a point guard between passing too much and shooting too much," Davis said. "If he can walk that line, we'll be fine."