On a 45 minute bus ride, the CHS girls’ varsity basketball team sat in silence. The only noise was the faint sound of the music playing out of the girls’ headphones.

Coach Steve McFall believes that this quiet time is the perfect opportunity for his players to focus and prepare for the games that they will play after getting off of the bus.

McFall has made a large impact on the girls’ basketball program, and it is only his first season at CHS.

At the end of the 2013-2014 school year, former CHS Girls’ Basketball Head Coach, Heath Kent, moved to Detroit, creating the opportunity for McFall to fill in Kent’s shoes.

Prior to his new position at CHS, McFall had an array of jobs in basketball. After playing basketball at McKendree College, McFall coached in Illinois, and spent eleven years as the head coach for the girls’ basketball team.

Coach McFall has enjoyed his time at CHS so far. “I like the kids. I like how smart [the players] are and I like that we have some talent,” McFall said. “We’ve got some really nice talent, we’re not very tall but the kids can play a little bit. I like their attitude; they play hard and I think we’ll be okay.”

Sophomore and second year varsity player Brooke Jones thinks that Coach McFall has has a positive impact on the basketball team.

“He is a very good coach,” Jones said. “He teaches us stuff that we really need to know, things that weren’t really given to us last year.”

Jones also added that McFall has helped her build up her confidence on the court.

“He’s taught me that being the point-guard, I basically control the whole floor and that I have a lot more power than I really know.”

Both Jones and McFall are excited to see how the 2014-2015 unfolds for the varsity squad. “I think we’re looking forward to seeing the kids progress and see them get better as a group and as a team,” said McFall.