It’s been a rough start for Bothell High, but senior captains Sarah Garinger and Kendra Heyer envision things improving along the way.

They’re the only two returning varsity players on this year’s squad, which includes some girls who took a few years off from playing on the hardwood. At press time, the Cougars were winless, including a pair of 4A Kingco losses and a 62-61 defeat to Nathan Hale in which Heyer poured in 23 points.

“We’re just looking to getting our program going and making a name for ourselves,” said Heyer, referring to the lack of Cougar victories in recent years. “The scores might not reflect what we’ve done, but our attitude on the court is a lot better.

“We got a fresh start, and we kind of just threw all the old stuff out the door. We have a new attitude this year — there’s just a whole new vibe on the court.”

The Cougars’ motto is “All In,” which means everyone’s involved whether they’re playing or not, said Heyer, noting that all varsity and junior-varsity players are feeding off the enthusiasm that the captains — both guards — and new coach Amy Flinn bring to the table this year.

Flinn, who coached the Bothell junior-varsity team last year, brings new offenses and defenses to the squad and feels the Cougars are coming along fine. She said there’s plenty of leadership and hustle on the court thus far.

“It’s been kind of a whirlwind, but it’s starting to settle down and people are starting to find their roles and their spots. I think we’ll be all right,” said Flinn, who competed in the state tournament three times as a Meadowdale High player and also played Division III ball for Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Ga.

Flinn and the captains are impressed with the play of Sharon Akoto, Andi Hettick, Jessi Howe, Makenzie Kruger and Tenetta Walker.

Garinger, who is averaging 11.4 points a game, noted that Flinn’s attitude is infectious, keeping the team on a positive course.

“We constantly use encouragement, we’re always helping the team out,” Garinger said of her and Heyer’s roles on the team. “They (teammates) look to us for help on the court, and they know that we’re there for them to talk to.”

“On and off the court,” said Heyer, who will play Division I fastpitch softball at La Salle University in Philadelphia, Penn., next year. “We want it to be more of a family than a team kind of thing.”

Picture: Sarah Garinger passes to Kendra Heyer in practice. Andy Nystrom/Reporter