SLIPPERY ROCK — Melinda Rhoads can sum up her Slippery Rock eighth-grade girls basketball team succinctly.

"They are amazing," she says, placing emphasis on each word.

She isn't embellishing.

The Rockets rolled through the season with a 22-0 record and were never seriously challenged in any of those games.

Their average margin of victory was 29 points, and the closest any team came to Slippery Rock was Sharon, which lost by 10 points.

But even that game wasn't as close as the final score.

All of the players on the team are no strangers to winning. As seventh graders last year, they marauded through their schedule for a 20-0 record.

That's 42 wins and no losses in their junior high careers.

"They play a brand of basketball at the eight-grade level that is beyond their years," Rhoads said.

No one player dominates, as the Rockets are a study in balance and depth.

Five players averaged about eight points per game. Their backcourt, which features twin sisters Karly and Kourtney Rhoads, can penetrate and hit the 3-pointer.

Their frontcourt, featuring Adele Campbell, Sarah Cessar and Ali Doyle can dominate the paint on both ends of the court.

The bench, which includes Taylor Crocker, Heather Finecey, Kelsey Shaum, Nicole Watterson and Katja Kauffman, provided valuable minutes.

The Rockets feasted on turnovers and transition points this season.

"The key is defense," Melinda Rhoads said. "They work and they defend. They play really, really, really well together."

Because of their frenetic play, Slippery Rock was a popular ticket this season.

The team was so popular that school officials opened a concession stand and sold food and drink to satisfy the overflow of fans.

"They are an exciting group to watch," Rhoads said. "Even people not connected with the program came to watch their games."

Rhoads was salivating at the chance to coach this team after the Rockets' success last season as seventh graders under coach John Cooper.

"They weren't a normal seventh-grade team," she said.

And they certainly weren't a normal eighth-grade team.

Even the players said they knew they were a part of something special.

"It's cool being undefeated," said Karly Rhoads. "We're the only team that can say that."

Slippery Rock's only real challenge this season was avoiding complacency because of all the blowout wins.

But the team always found a way to stay humble, Campbell said.

"We were playing with confidence, but we didn't want to seem too cocky," Campbell said. "I think we worked pretty well together. We've been playing together for a long time."

Melinda Rhoads tries not to compare this team with another standout eighth-grade team she coached in 2001.

That team also went undefeated and featured current Slippery Rock High stars Jence Rhoads, Abby Basta, Casey McCaffrey and Jessica Fry.

"That team may have played better defensively," Melinda Rhoads said of the 2001 team. "Abby and Casey were incredible on defense. I would say this team has more depth. The margin of victory wasn't quite the same. (In 2001), we had a few more closer games."

Rhoads said it is very rare to get a junior high team with the talent and skill this one possesses.

The team played in several tournaments and conquered such foes as North Allegheny, North East, Erie McDowell and Eisenhower with ease.

"I've been doing this for a long time, and this team is really remarkable for a junior high team," Rhoads said.

The players already have turned their thoughts toward the next level and what that will be like.

They are hoping to follow in the footsteps of the 2000 team, which at the high school level has advanced to the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.

"We're thinking about dressing for varsity (next season)," Campbell said. "And trying to get some minutes. It should be a lot of fun."