After taking three losses in a row before the holiday break, the Eagles have come back strong to mount a small win streak.

Valor Christian High School girls basketball took three losses between Dec. 11 and Dec. 22. Having returned from the halt to winter sports, the Eagles put up four wins against Evergreen by three points, Wheat Ridge by one point, Legend by two points and a 56-31 stomp over Arvada.

With the win over Arvada, Valor Christian bounced back to a 6-5 overall record.

Under the coaching of Sherryl Klosterman in her 25 years of instructing high school ball, the Eagles had a strong season last time out with the Pioneer League championship title and a 15-7 record. They lost in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

This year, Valor is back with senior Jenelle Beckie and juniors Meg Gegen, Janine Beckie and Megan Davis among others. Jenelle Beckie was a first-team all-league selection last season and the Pioneer Player of the Year with eight points per game and an average of 6.5 rebounds. She is also one of the tallest players on the team.

Janine Beckie was also a first-team nod with seven points per game and three steals ppg. Gegan received honorable mention having closed the year with a six-point average and 2.5 assists per game. Davis also averaged six points per game.

This season, Kara Foley was expected to be a threat from outside the perimeter. She has led the team beyond the arc thus far. Leading the team in scoring, however, has been sophomore forward Annalise Pequette. She and the Beckies are averaging about seven points per game.

“We’re a very athletic and quick team,” Klosterman said. “We’ll play an up-tempo style with a lot of defensive pressure.

“Good balance in our scoring and consistency could really propel us to a very good season. Staying healthy is always key.”

In terms of experience, the Eagles are young but athletic. Only in their fourth year of existence, the team took a huge step forward in the strength of its schedule by joining the Class 4A Jefferson County League. It has been a goal for Klosterman to get her younger players experienced early in the season, and she expected to see improvement coming into the Eagles’ league games, she said.

Having beaten Evergreen, Wheat Ridge and Arvada, Jeffco’s latest edition was off to a 3-0 start.

“The middle teams of the league will be very competitive, and anything can happen in this league,” Klosterman said.