Surprise Package
CRANBERRY TWP — Molly Rottmann still feels the sting of the sudden end to the 2019-20 season.
The North Catholic girls basketball coach has suffered disappointing finishes to long playoff runs before. Losses deep into March come with the territory when you have been coaching as long and as successfully as Rottmann has with the Trojanettes.
Last year, however, was different.
Her talented North Catholic team, with nine seniors leading the way, was 26-1 and just three more victories from a Class 4A state title when the coronavirus pandemic put an end to the campaign.
No closure. No finality.
“On the anniversary of our last game — March 11 vs. Central Valley at North Hills — I texted all nine seniors,” Rottmann said. “So, it's still very fresh. As a coach I feel for them. Who knows? It could have been their year. It still plays in my mind, as I'm sure it still plays in theirs.”
With those nine seniors scattered to the four winds, Rottmann entered this season with a plethora of unknowns and crushing uncertainty.
Only one player who had seen any significant varsity time — sophomore and Butler native Dacia Lewandowski — returned. The COVID-19 pandemic was still raging, delayed the season and cast doubt in December if there would even be games played at all.
No offseason. No chance to evaluate the players Rottmann did have.
A perfect storm of doubt.
But Rottmann didn't fret — even though she felt like she should.
“I was definitely getting ready to hit the panic button,” Rottmann joked.When the season started, Rottmann did what she always had done. Coached her team up.They rewarded her faith in them with an 18-3 record, a section championship, and a trip to the WPIAL Class 3A championship game where they fell to Mohawk, 54-48.For her efforts, Rottmann has been named the Butler Eagle 2020-21 Girls Coach of the Year.It certainly was a season unlike any other. For the first time in a very long time, Rottmann had no real feel for her team when the season began.“You just don't know, right? And there's not even a summer league or shootouts to even see,” Rottmann said. “That's what was so crazy. There was none of that available.”The team impressed Rottmann from the start.“I was pleasantly surprised,” Rottmann said. “From early on I was like, 'Wow, they could really be good.' I kept waiting for them to show their age and the nerves.”That didn't happen until the WPIAL final.A learning experience, to be sure.“They are a lot of fun to watch,” Rottmann said. “They play really well together. They're unselfish. And you know, it certainly exceeded my expectations.”Rottmann helped her team along by making a very important coaching decision.She and her staff decided to pare down the offense and defense and keep things simple.The approach helped the young and inexperienced team develop quickly.“We ran very few sets,” Rottmann said. “We just let them play. We focused a ton on defense and just let them learn how to play together.”With a normal offseason — hopefully — Rottmann plans to add things back in to her game plans.But even a coach with 23 years under her belt, like Rottmann, must adapt.“I'd like to press with this team,” Rottmann said. “That's something we can build on. I'd like to do more, but simplifying things is maybe something to think about. Maybe less is more.”
