Juniors Manya Yellepeddy, Sarah Coppenbarger and senior Helena Johnson play against John R. Lewis High School and bring home an amazing win. “You want to practice how you play, but [it is] definitely a different environment scrimmaging with your team versus [playing against] a team you know has a history of being a really good team,” Yellepeddy said.

This season, the Jefferson girls varsity basketball team made an impressive mark, winning the majority of their games and demonstrating a level of teamwork that set them apart from the previous years. With a new focus on communication, strategic plays, and endurance, the team showed an amazing improvement both offensively and defensively.
Beyond just their overall performance, this season was defined by the team’s ability to overcome past struggles and secure wins against other strong teams. In previous years, Jefferson had often found itself outmatched against rivals, but this time, they turned the tables.
“This year, we had the best season that girls varsity has had in the past six years,” said junior shooting guard and forward Sarah Coppenbarger.
The achievement was not just about their overall performance but also their ability to defeat long-standing rivals, marking a major turning point for the team. One of the most notable examples of this success came with their matchups against Falls Church, a team that had repeatedly outplayed Jefferson in previous years.
“We lost against Falls Church every time last year, but we beat them every time we played against them this year,” Coppenbarger said.
This turnaround was a representation of the hard work and dedication the players put into building a more cohesive and disciplined team this season. As the season unfolded, the girls recognized that individual efforts alone weren’t enough to overcome tough opponents. The key to their success became clear: teamwork. By focusing on effective communication and coordination, the team was able to execute plays more efficiently, something they had struggled with in previous seasons.
“I think we did a much better job at playing as a team versus playing individually and just kinda like showcasing our own individual skills and trying to put them all together,” junior and shooting guard Sarah Coppenbarger said.
Although the girls improved exponentially, the season still had its struggles. Their opponents were still very skilled and had improved as well, so the team sometimes found it hard to recover when they fell behind on the scoreboard.
“When we’re down in points, we basically can’t get back up,” Yellepeddy said. “The games we lost were close, but once the other team got up by eight to ten points, we just couldn’t recover.”
However, even in these difficult moments, the team refused to give up, finding strength in each other. One critical factor in maintaining their record throughout the season was the energy from the bench. Players on the sidelines played an essential role in boosting the team’s spirit, even when the score was not in their favor. This collective energy kept the team grounded and motivated, helping them stay focused on their goals.
“Especially when we’re down by a lot, the bench tries to have a lot of energy and keep up the intensity, and there’s always a correlation between the bench energy and how well we play,” Coppenbarger said.
Looking ahead, the team is eager to build on the momentum they’ve created this season. With stronger bonds, renewed confidence, and a clear focus on teamwork, the girls varsity basketball team is ready to rise to any new challenges in upcoming seasons.
“I’m really proud of how far we’ve come, and I’m excited to see how we continue to improve next year,” Yellepeddy said.