First-year head girls’ basketball coach Tara Belfield didn’t know quite what to expect.

She inherited a team that four starters as well as some players off the bench from a team that advanced to the foist round of the state players, losing by one point to Philadelphia’s West Catholic.

The Rough Riders got there by advancing to the District 11 Class 3A championship game against Notre Dame, and they just fell short in a 34-26 defeat.

So, Belfield surely knew she faced a challenge.

Junior Hailey Jenkins was the team’s lone returning starter, and she also was one of the area’s top players back in the fold. Jenkins averaged nearly 17 points a game.

Getting back to the district playoffs loomed a longshot, but Belfield was optimistic that she could develop a supporting cast.

Much to her surprise, Belfield was right.

Jenkins is among the area’s elite players, and the Roughies were back in the postseason this year.

Catty finished 13-8 record and were hot to end the season, also making the Colonial League playoffs.

Still, some early season struggles may have dampened her anticipations.

“In the beginning of the season I really wasn’t sure how things would go,” reflected Belfield. “We went on a four- or five- game losing streak against teams that I really thought we could have competed against, but our youth really showed in those games.

“The turning point was when we finally got a bit of a break in our schedule and got to play against some teams that we were better matched with. I could not be more proud of Hailey and how she is leading this team and the growth that I am seeing in so many of the girls

Jenkins took the same approach as her coach, and has relished her role in the transformation. She credited freshmen Kailyn Stewart and Sarina Sankari for their dedication and development.

“To be honest, at the beginning of the season, I couldn’t see us making it to playoffs considering we still had a lot to learn as a team,” noted Jenkins.

“I think the turning point was definitely getting other girls to contribute to our points. Sankari and Stewart have really stepped up these past couple of games. They have finally gained their confidence.”