EudoraNews.com

The Eudora girls basketball team will look to be road warriors in the early season.

The Cardinals open their season Friday at Anderson County, which will be the first of six road games to start the year.

For the past couple weeks, the Eudora girls have been working on fundamentals in practice and also becoming more familiar with new coach Todd Cossman.

“I think they’re getting used to me, getting used to the program and how I like things run,” Cossman said. “I think they’re getting ready to play their first game. We’ve been in the gym a lot, and I think they’re ready to get out there and play somebody.”

Cossman said Eudora would likely face a 2-3 zone from Anderson County.

“We played them this summer, so we kind of got to see them then,” Cossman said. “So they’re going to come ready to play. And we’ve got to match them, especially at their place.”

Eudora’s team looks quite different from the one that beat Anderson County in the season opener last year. Starters Haley Epperson, Bailey Scott, Kendal Abel, Rachel Pyle and Mariah Webb and reserve Tianna Dunnaway have all graduated.

But the new-look Cardinals return Evan Folks and Shea Lounsbury, who both played varsity last year. And Cossman added that the six-game road trip could be beneficial now and when the Cardinals finally have a home game in January.

“Taking care of the ball is one of the biggest keys in basketball,” Cossman said. “If you turn it over more than the other team, you give them more shots. It’s as simple as that. And up until Christmas it’s really going to test us.”

Eudora also will play in the Paola Invitational next week. Eudora will first play Piper at 5 p.m. Monday at Paola.