Cheyenne, WY (News Now, WY) - The beauty of sports is that each season brings new beginnings and new opportunities. The South High School girls' basketball team is relying on the guidance and leadership of a core group of seniors for a fresh start after a challenging previous season.

"With so many experienced leaders on our team, we have multiple girls who could easily serve as captains," said Head Coach Brodie Epler. This year, we decided to forgo the traditional captain's title and instead encourage each player to step up and lead in their own way.

"Three of us have been starters since our sophomore year," shared senior guard Jordynn Brennan. We've played together since fourth grade, both on the travel team and at South. This shared history creates a unique bond that some other teams may not have. We've grown together through successes and challenges, and I'm confident this will lead to a strong season for us.

Inspired by the 'Dane Sanders Effect,' the Bison's motto for this season is 'Dawgs.

"At first, it was just a joke referring to Dane Sanders' emphasis on leadership and the 'Dawgs' mentality he instilled at CU. But the girls have really embraced the 'Dawgs' concept," Coach Eppler explained.

"We call ourselves 'Dawgs' because we work hard and give it our all until we can't give any more. We never give up, and we believe that we can achieve any goal if we set our minds to it.

The team's season kicks off next week in Casper, and the Bison are eager to start the new campaign on a positive note.

"We are confident that we will start the season strong, at least for the first two games," asserted Brennan. We definitely want to improve on last year. Last season, we even went to overtime with one of the teams we'll face next week, so we're especially confident for that game.

"A good start to the season is crucial," Smith emphasized. If we start off with back-to-back losses, it could easily affect our mentality and I don't want that to happen. We will travel to Casper this weekend and hopefully win some games and get some victories.

With a new sense of purpose and a strong leadership core, the South High School girls basketball team is poised for a successful season. The girls' mantra of "dawgs" perfectly illustrates their determination and resilience, and their unwavering belief in their abilities will undoubtedly take them far.