TEAM JETS moved to within one point of top spot in Regional League 1 last weekend with another emphatic double-header win.
Coach Emily Green and her team travelled to the mainland to take on Bristol Romans A (formerly Premier Romans) on Saturday, followed by Mavericks Eagles on Sunday.
Both games proved victorious for the Jets, landing a big 70-50 win over the Romans, their highest scoring offence this season, while the clash with the Eagles resulted in another win, this time 62-42.
The Jets squad has welcomed some new faces this season, as the newly introduced development pathway continues to offer opportunities for young players to flourish.
Teenagers such as Grace Thomson and Emily Le Gros graced the team sheet again for this double-header, and the new-look squad has not disappointed in this campaign.
Coach Emily Green praised her team for their resilience and adaptability, highlighting the strength and unity that powered them through tough matches.
Despite winning both games by 20-point margins, Green emphasised that the victories were far from easy, particularly the encounter against the Eagles, who proved to be much tougher opponents than anticipated.
“It was another superb team performance by the girls,” said Green.
“We knew both teams would be strong, but we expected a tougher time against the Romans. However, the Eagles really gave us a much harder game.
“Even though the scoreline shows a 20-point win in both matches, it doesn’t reflect how closely contested they were.”
The Eagles game, in particular, was a rollercoaster, with Green’s team leading by three points in the first quarter, 13 points in the second, only 4 or 5 in the third, with the final quarter ended in a draw.
“If we take away that second quarter, it was a really close game,” Green observed. “It was highly contested, and the intensity was there throughout.”
“Getting off to a fast start is something we always try to do, but we also had some really strong defensive pressure.
“We made them take ages to get to goal, and that frustrated the Eagles. But, to their credit, they kept the ball really well.
“They moved it short and sharp, which was impressive to watch. Their resilience to get to goal was remarkable.”
The defensive effort was a standout, with key players such as Becca Forrest working superbly with the centre court unit putting in a lot of work to disrupt the Eagles’ offensive flow.
“Becca was amazing, creating turnovers and cleaning up the interceptions coming into the circle,” Green noted. “But it was the work in the centre court that really made it all happen. We put them under constant pressure, and that’s what kept them at bay.”
Despite the challenges, the team stuck to their structure, and Green was pleased with how they adapted to the different playing styles presented by both the Eagles and the Romans.
“Both teams had very different styles, and we adapted brilliantly, the effort on both days was superb.”
One player who caught the eye was 17-year-old Emily Le Gros, who has been consistently impressing in training.
“Emily has really put her hand up this season in the absence of Leah Griffin.
“She’s worked hard on her holding game, and it’s been amazing to see her develop.
“At just 17, she was unstoppable this weekend, dominating the circle. She was so visible and clear, allowing us to move the ball to her quickly and efficiently.”
Green praised Le Gros’ composure, describing her as a player who remains calm under pressure.
“She did everything that was asked of her. She blew everyone away with her performance.
“She’s like still water, so composed, and it’s incredible to see someone that young perform with such maturity.”
“Grace Thomson also stood out. She played two games for Bath the day before, so we had to manage her game time, but she dealt with that with great maturity.”
Another key development was the team’s decision to give more responsibility to other players, particularly when Super League player Lily Jones stepped off court to allow time for new formations to thrive on court.
“We wanted to show the girls that we could still perform without Lily, and she was so supportive of that,” the coach explained.
“Lily is such a big target in the circle, but I was most impressed with Emily Le Gros. She really stepped up and showed she can handle that pressure.
“We took away how to play against a team that moves the ball so quickly, like Mavericks did.
“That style worked well for them, and we’re going to look at how to counter it defensively moving forward,” Green said.
In attack, the coach acknowledged the challenges of working without Lily Jones in full rotation. “We can’t always train with Lily, so there’s always a bit of a clunky feel without her at times, but that’s normal early in the season.
“We’ll continue to work on our court balance, improving interchanges, and timing our movements down the court from the mid-court feeders into attack.”
The weekend as a whole was a true team performance. Green noted how every player contributed, with everyone getting a minimum of half a game on Sunday.
“Orie [Amadi] was outstanding at wing defence, shutting down her wing attack options and responding to every call from the unit,” Green continued.
“There was so much off-ball work from players like Jodie [Blampied], Nicole [Goddard], and Maddie [Fitzgerald-Wilkins] that allowed Becca [Forrest] and Molly [Carre] to take interceptions. It was a real team effort.”
Even in a match where they scored a massive 70 points, Green emphasised that the team’s communication and attitude were key.
“Things do go wrong in a game like that, but the girls communicate so positively with each other.
“The senior players understood the need to share minutes, and everyone respected that.
“The theme of the weekend was control: controlling our space, controlling the pace of the game, and sticking to our structures. When we do that, we’re effective.”
Looking ahead, Green is excited about the upcoming home weekend, set for 30 November and 1 December.
“It’ll be lovely to showcase how we’re progressing to our local crowd,” she concluded.
“We’ll be facing Saints Force, who we haven’t played yet. We won’t be complacent, though.
“We’ll train hard, especially focusing on countering their two tall, strong shooters. We’re really looking forward to the challenge, and we’re excited to play in front of our home crowd again.”
Team Jets squad: Rosie Tonner (c), Lily Jones, Emily Le Gros, Maddie Fitzgerald-Wilkins, Nicole Goddard, Jodie Blampied, Samantha Salzone, Orie Amadi, Molly Carre, Becca Forrest, Grace Thomson (Sunday only)
Regional League 1
P W D L + – Diff Pts
Bristol Romans B 7 6 0 1 358 262 1.366 31
Team Jets 6 6 0 0 363 232 1.565 30
Hucclecote Comets 7 5 0 2 375 299 1.254 28
Poole 5 5 0 0 281 214 1.313 25
Saints Force 6 3 1 2 326 327 0.997 21
Bristol Romans A 6 2 1 3 335 363 0.923 16
ENC Equinox 7 2 0 5 295 347 0.850 14
Mavericks Eagles 7 1 0 6 295 374 0.789 11
Team Bath A 7 1 0 6 280 361 0.776 10
Titans Lightning 6 0 0 6 185 314 0.589 5
