Since he returned to the bench last season, Catasauqua head girls' basketball coach Dave Troxell hasn't been concerned about wins and losses.

Over the past few seasons, wins have been a premium for the Roughies.

Last season, Troxell 's team produced two wins in 24 overall games. However, his predecessors had produced only three wins in the previous four seasons.

When he entered his squad in the hometown girls' basketball season, Troxell wasn't surprised when his team went winless. Instead, he continues to work to build a winning culture for the program.

"We played tough all throughout the summer," said Troxell. "We faced some very good competition and the girls responded pretty well. We continued to improve with each game and we played better as a team every night.

"We didn't win any games, but we are reaching a new level."

Troxell believes his upcoming senior core of Amarys Moten, Shiloh Sziy, and Selina Reiss will help make a significant difference in the program this winter.

"They are all good leaders and they can help instill some confidence in the younger girls," noted Troxell. "They are all very positive about this season and looking forward to get things going. Amarys (Moten) and Shiloh (Sziy) have really improved their games in recent years and all of them are very hard workers in the program.

"They have really helped everyone play together."

Troxell also has been pleased with the steady progress of incoming freshman Mackenzie Bradley, who currently is projected as the team' starting point guard.

"She (Bradley) has been learning on the fly," stated Troxell. "She's still raw, but she continues to learn more and more about the game and how to react to every situation. She is quick and is working very hard."

In addition to his motivated seniors and his highly touted freshman, Troxell also has been impressed with underclassmen Jackie Garner, Becca Harakal, Alyssa Rushatz, Selena Safadi, and Kelly Sobrinski. Troxell also expects Quinn Bachman again to be back in the starting lineup this winter.

"They are all good athletes," said Troxell. "They all played well during the summer and they all have the potential to become better players. These girls all appear to be ready to take the next step. They have a better feel for the game."

In addition to the summer league, Troxell has had workouts every Monday and Wednesday to stress fundamentals. Troxell is also optimistic he can field a JV team this winter with the influx of seven to 10 freshmen.

An extension to summer likely can produce some wins during the winter.

"We have been working on basics from one to two hours and it looks like it is paying off," added Troxell. "We will have a good freshmen class. We also have a lot of energy in the program and we believe it can carry over to the season.

"We are having a good summer and confident about the season."

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Troxell also saw his team win its opening game against a Whitehall JV squad before they lost games to Parkland and Wilson.

"We had a great win for us against Whitehall," said Troxell. "It was back and forth and then we got a one-point lead. It was a true test for the girls to hold on as we played very well defensively down the stretch.

"Parkland was a tough game, and they had too much talent for us. We were in a game against Wilson, but they pulled away at the end. We shot poorly from the foul line and they made some good shots at the end."

Troxell acknowledged the play of returning senior starters Shiloh Sziy and Amarys Moten as well as incoming freshman point guard Mackenzie Bradley.

"Sziy and Moten have been our leaders all summer," he said. "They both had a good tournament. This was probably the best Bradley has played and she certainly will be a key for us this winter. She just continues to get better."

With his summer season finished, Troxell is optimistic about his team's chances this winter.

"We had a good summer," noted Troxell. "We didn't win any games in our league, but we did get better. It was good for us to experience a win (in Stellar tournament). We worked on shooting and fundamentals and it should help us."