Lewiston girls basketball player Reese DeGroot is one of the team captains for the Bengals. The junior leads a young core of players- a roster without a single senior on the team.

Her leadership will help prepare the Bengals for their most exhilarating game of the year in the golden throne.

"For preparation of golden throne week, we usually practice with a bunch of background noises, whether that's loud music or crowd sounds."

On top of practicing, DeGroot and the rest of the team mentally prepare by sharing some team bonding moments together.

"We go get pictures or got get lunch or whatever is. We just get ready together, getting ready to work together and really get the chemistry going before we even start," DeGroot said.

The Bengals bring a diverse group to the court, with a mix of brand new, returning varsity, and former JV players. As a team captain, the power forward has helped her teammates grow individually and together as one.

"A lot of the younger girls may get nervous before the games. As upperclassmen, we just reassure them that it's going to be okay, all we have we have to do is calm down. That's really part of the game is calming down and just moving the ball," DeGroot said.

The focus continues on playing their style of game: Ball movement, good passing, limiting turnovers, and having a sharp mental focus.

"Just keeping the nerves down. It can be very nerve-wracking for some people with the crowd. I know that I've done it before, but I know that some of my teammates haven't."