Stepping into the shoes of a legend is never easy.

Lauren Power is just making it look that way.

Power took over head coaching duties this season at Germantown Academy after the retirement of Sherri Retif, who had won 20 Inter-Academic League titles in her 25-year tenure with the Patriots. In Retif's final season, the Patriots finished 19-11, led by Kendall Bennett, who is now playing Division 1 ball at Binghamton.

This year, the Patriots are off to an 11-3 start, playing a diverse schedule that includes matchups with Catholic League and Suburban One League teams, in addition to wins at prestigious tournaments.

In addition to her duties as GA’s assistant athletic director, Power was preparing last week to face her former team, Academy of Notre Dame, for the first time, while taking care of her 9-month old daughter, who was sick with an ear infection, and her active 2-year-old son.

Power had spent five seasons at Notre Dame, winning 76 games and one Inter-Ac title.

“The game was emotional for so many reasons,” Power said. “I put so much into that program for five years.”

While Power looked forward to seeing her former players and coaching staff, they didn’t seem as eager to see her. Until the game was over, that is.

After the Patriots sealed the 49-38 win, the emotions started flowing.

“They were all business until the final whistle,” said Power. “Once we went to the handshake line, it was a different story.”

But that wasn’t even the best part. Power’s son and daughter were on the sidelines to cheer on their mom.

“They don’t usually go to the games, so having them there made it even more special.”

Change in strategy in pursuit of an Inter-Ac title

“(Our success this season) all starts with our juniors and seniors who have been together for three and four years,” Power said. “Finishing in second (in the Inter-Ac) the last few years has made them want it more. They represent Germantown Academy in an amazing way; it’s an honor to be their coach.”

This year, the team is relying more on a balanced approach. While Izzy Casey (Bucknell) leads the Patriots in scoring (16 points per game), almost anyone in the lineup can post a team-high in points on any given night.

Power points to the team's defense as a deciding factor in the win over Notre Dame, with a “collective effort” from Casey, Jess Aponik, Jen Aponik and Gabby Bowes.

“Our defense has been excellent this year, but we’re still trying to click offensively,” Power said. “The best is yet to come.”

New girls basketball coaches in Bucks County area seeing plenty of success

In addition to Power, there are five other new girls basketball coaches this season. Here’s a look at how their seasons are going:

Allison Lawson, Abington

Similar to Power at Germantown Academy, Lawson took over for a longtime, highly successful coach (Dan Marsh, now coaching Abington boys) and lost a 1,000-point scorer (Cire Worley, the program’s all-time leading scorer who is now at UMass Lowell).

The Ghosts are off to an 8-2 start, with an emphasis on balanced scoring and defense. Sophomore Mikiaya Durham has stepped into the starting lineup to lead the team in scoring, though Maya Johnson, Piper McGinley and Jordan Reynolds have multiple double-digit games this season. On defense, McGinley and Sarah Oleary are leading the way, and the Ghosts are allowing 39 points per game, compared to 46 points last season.

Josh Adelman, Upper Moreland

The Golden Bears (Class 5A) are 8-5, playing a tough schedule against many 6A teams. Two of their losses were by a combined seven points. The team also lost a 1,000-point scorer from last year’s team (EmmyFaith Wood, Messiah University) but Holly Gohl reached the milestone this season, and she leads the team in scoring with junior Mikel Lancit not far behind.

Jesse Krasna, Council Rock South

The Golden Hawks are 7-3 under Krasna, who previously coached the CR North boys. Their three losses are to teams with combined 27-7 records. CR South defeated CB East (10-2, No. 6 in District One rankings) 48-15 in December in a statement win.

Don Sobetsky, Dock Mennonite 

Sobetsky inherited a team that went 1-19 last year and scored under 20 points in 14 of those games. With a goal to “revise the whole girls basketball program from the bottom up,” Sobetsky is working with three returning players from last season, and several players who are new to basketball – including two who are playing a sport for the first time. Despite those challenges, the Pioneers, at 3-5, have exceeded last year’s win total, and have not scored fewer than 20 points in a game.

Connor Collins, Morrisville

The Bulldogs have a 4-6 record, which includes a win over Bicentennial Athletic League opponent Bristol, a team they lost to twice last season. Morrisville finished 6-15 last season.

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Girls High School Basketball: First-year coaches finding success