The only constant with the Beaver Area girls' team this year might be change ... a lot of change.

The Bobcats welcome five freshmen along with new coach Rick Holzworth as they make the move from Section 6-AA to Section 2-AA. The new coaching job means a lot of change for Holzworth too. This is his first stint coaching girls' basketball and his first as a head coach after jobs as an assistant at New Castle, Mohawk and West Middlesex.

The former boys' assistant coach, Holzworth is bringing a change of culture to the program and a change in the X's and O's, but he hopes not everything changes. The Bobcats have reached the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs the past two years.

With the consecutive postseason appearances and one of the top players in the WPIAL in 6-foot-1 forward Carly Vendemia, Holzworth will feel pressure early on. Vendemia, a Duquesne University recruit, averaged 16.7 points per game and 12.9 rebounds per game last year.

"There is a lot of pressure on me," Holzworth said. "You have a top player like that and along with that comes expectations. I feel pressure to produce when you have a top player like Carly."

The other two returning starters are junior guard Kendra Pilarski (5-9 1/2) and senior guard Kathryn Rybak (5-4). Pilarski averaged 13.4 points per game last season and 5.4 rebounds per game. Junior guard Paige Onuska (5-7) and junior forward Emily Powell (5-9), both returning lettermen from last season, round out the starting lineup.

One of the biggest challenges facing Beaver is a lack of experience. Despite all of starters being returning lettermen, the team did not have an entire summer of playing together at camps and summer leagues. Holzworth did not get the job until the middle of August and packed as much into three months as possible to get his team used to the new system.

"We haven't had a lot of time together. I bring a new way of doing things and we have both taken some time to get used to each other," Holzworth said.

"I characterize it as a real transition time. We have had our bumps in the road but we are making progress.

"There has been a certain culture and a way of doing things over the years there and I bring a new culture, by changing minds and changing attitudes. Of course it cannot be all one sided. I have to bend a little bit too and take time to learn what the girls can and can't do. It is not easy. It comes in steps but we just need to continue to make improvements."

Opposing teams can expect a more aggressive Beaver team this year. Holzworth wants to force the issue offensively and defensively. When Holzworth and his players gather to practice he tells them they are not practicing just to make the playoffs but rather to set their sights on the top teams in Class AA.

"Teams like OLSH, Ford City, Greensburg Central Catholic and Washington ... I tell the girls I want to practice to beat those teams," Holzworth said.

"Next year I want our name up there with those teams. I want the culture to be that we are not just looking to make the playoffs but we are looking to do what we have to do to beat the best."

Two freshmen, forward Ally Dehart (5-7) and guard Kate O'Neil (5-6), are expected to contribute off the bench. Senior guard Hannah Woodske returns to the team after having played in previous years and Holzworth expects her to see minutes off the bench.

Beaver has its own tipoff tournament tomorrow and Saturday. The Bobcats will play Rochester in the first game tomorrow with West Allegheny meeting Center in the nightcap.

The Bobcats begin section play Dec. 11 at Shenango. Despite the new section and it being Holzworth's first season, he has a good idea about the teams in Section 2-AA. As a boys' assistant at New Castle and Mohawk, he is familiar with the girls' programs at Mohawk, Neshannock and Riverside. New Brighton, another team in the section, is Holzworth's alma mater. New coach of Bobcats already feeling pressure