For the first week or so of practice, the Pella Christian girls basketball team had only eight players.

They’ve since picked up one more, but nine is still less players that most coaches would like to have available. Even if that’s as deep as their rotation would go, further depth is needed for potential injuries and foul trouble.

Eagles Coach Kevin Van Maanen says that they’ve been making due so far.

“You’d like to have ten, but we have eight new freshmen, so we go against them once in a while and kind of mix people in and out. The girls have been working hard and they’ve been learning well. You can tell that they played varsity last year and now they know what’s ahead of them. Last year, I think they went into it unknown, and the game was pretty fast for them.”

Van Maanen says they’ll start the season with just the 9 varsity players – 2 seniors, 3 juniors and 4 sophomores. He adds that they will consider pulling up freshmen as the season goes on and the roster needs dictate.

Tune in this morning from 10am-Noon on the Knoxville HyVee Radio Coaches Corner as we begin our winter sports preview interviews on KNIA / KRLS.