Adjusting to high school basketball for a freshman is one thing. Making the leap to the varsity in your first season is another.

No fewer than seven freshmen are dressing for varsity teams in Bureau County this season, including Bureau Valley’s Carson Gruber, Princeton’s Julian Mucha and Ava Munson, Hall’s Bernadette Larson and St. Bede’s Hannah Heiberger, all who are making key contributions to their varsity teams.

It can be an eye-opening experience for freshman, who are 14 or 15 years old, Hall girls coach TJ Orlandi and Princeton girls coach Tiffany Gonigam said.

“It’s definitely an adjustment coming from playing junior high basketball to then playing high school and especially varsity,“ Orlandi said. ”I think with freshman and sometimes even sophs, there’s some growing pains that first year of playing varsity. You’re playing against juniors and seniors, who in many cases are bigger, faster and stronger than you. So I think the adjustment is realizing some of the things you can get away with against kids your own age, you can’t at this level."

“I think what a lot of kids come to realize is the varsity game is a lot faster than lower levels, especially junior high,” Gonigam said. “I am really excited about Ava, not only with what she has done for our team this year, but also for her future.”

Each freshman is finding different roles on the varsity. Gruber and Mucha are being called upon to provide some scoring punch in different ways.

Gruber has been an offensive spark plug from the start, scoring a season-high 37 points against Princeton in the Colmone Classic. He is averaging 14.6 ppg, shooting 33.3% on 3 pointers, 40.8% on 2s.

After watching Gruber net 27 at Hall on Jan. 28, Storm coach Jason Marquis said “we’ve known he can shoot like that since the third grade.”

Mucha, a long-ranger bomber, was shooting 40% on 3-point shots, averaging about 10 points off the bench with a season-high 19 points at home against Kewanee. He averaged 40-plus in games at the junior high level at Princeton Christian Academy last season, routinely doubled or tripled teamed, 20 ppg for its high school team as an eighth grader.

“I think Julian’s adjusted to the speed of the game and the physicality part of the game as well. Trying to encourage him to drive to the hoop more,” Tiger coach Jason Smith said. “Defensively, he will be the first one to tell you, he needs to get better. With that being said, he has improved a ton from the beginning to now.

“The most important thing is that he is coachable and gets along with his teammates. It’s not easy coming in as a freshman and playing varsity because of egos and different things, but Julian is a tough kid not to like. His teammates have received him really well and Julian has treated them with respect. He’s got a bright future if he continues to work at it and never becomes satisfied.”

Marquis said young talent like Gruber and the other freshmen breeds more good young talent.

“There’s some good young players in the area, which I’m excited about. There’s one thing about good young players, it makes (more) good young players,” Marquis said. “My youngest nephew is here watching. My boy (Cal) is here watching. It’s good to have good basketball in the area.”

Munson has provided the Tigresses with a defensive dynamic while she develops the rest of her game.

“She is one of our best defenders,” Gonigam said. “I think she has had three or four bloody noses. She just really gets in there and makes things tough for the other team. We feel confident with her guarding just about anybody or any position.

“She has also really come along in her ball handling. We put her into those positions starting this summer where she had to be the primary ball handler. I know she is capable of that and sees the floor well. As she continues to adjust I know we will see her scoring come along as well. She works hard, she has earned her teammates trust and has shown she can perform in big moments.”

Heiberger is one of three freshman on the St. Bede roster, all coming from Putnam County, including Kami Nauman and Tula Rue. Heiberger is strictly playing varsity and has worked her way into the starting lineup while her classmates are playing full time for the JV and limited for the varsity.

“She has been a big contributor to us in all aspects of the game. She is very athletic and still has a lot to learn basketball-wise, and she knows this and is very coachable,” St. Bede Tom Ptak said. “She has ice in her veins and has sunk a few key 3s to help us win games. Probably the fastest in the program and can jump out of the gym.”

Larson is averaging around 13 minutes a game on the Hall girls varsity while playing as the starting point guard for the JV. She’s also played one game for the freshmen due to short numbers, scoring 21 points.

“Bernie is doing well for us this year,” Orlandi said. “With Charlie (Pellegrini) graduating this year, (Larson) definitely has a chance to be a varsity starter next year. She’s a hard worker and is very coachable so if given the opportunity, I think she’ll make the most of it.”

Hall freshman Gage Olson has also made an impression on coach Mike Filippini.

“I like the fact he wasn’t scared. I kept telling him, ‘if you’re open, we want you to shoot the ball. That’s tough for a young kid in a game like that. And it’s nice to see a freshman rebound and play defense as well as he does, Filippini said.

“Bureau County’s got some good freshman. Gage is a little behind because he’s got some older guys ahead of him. But next year’s he’s going to be one of our best guys. That will help us big time.”