There was a point during summer camp that junior forward Sofia Orozco began to raise the ire Aurora Central Catholic coach LeVada Smith just a little bit.
Orozco was expected to take a big step forward this season with the graduation of program legends Sofia Corral and Riley Cwinski, but she needed a little push to get on that path.
“Obviously, I was a little caught off guard, but I do understand,” Orozco said. “I do need that nudge to wake up. Even though I don’t like hearing it, it’s good for me to hear.”
Orozco got the message. She’s been the leading scorer in the early going for the Chargers, who suffered their first loss of the season Monday in a 68-50 nonconference setback to Sycamore.
The 6-foot-1 Orozco led ACC (7-1) with 16 points, while Ashley Watter added 15. Macy Calendo led all scorers with 33 points for Sycamore (4-1). Quinn Carrier had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Smith recalled that summer moment Monday and how Orozco took it to heart immediately.
“I told her she was kind of just going through the motions, not giving enough effort,” Smith said. “I think that struck a chord based on her facial expressions. She wants to be good.”
Orozco was aggressive Monday night, scoring six points in the first quarter to pull ACC to a 17-17 tie with Sycamore at the break. Smith wants to see that aggression offensively more often.
“I think she can be better on offense,” Smith said. “I think sometimes she’s passive. I think she can score 20 a game if she really wanted to. I’m going to talk to her the next couple days in practice.
“I need her to be a little more aggressive on offense.”
As someone with lofty goals for her career in high school and beyond, Orozco is ready keep learning. The Chargers have had only one practice since the season started.
A couple days in the gym should help get them back on track.
“I totally agree,” Orozco said of Smith’s assessment. “I’m really excited actually because I know we’re going to work on things that we need to improve on and do those things during the game.”
That improvement needs to start on the defensive end, according to Smith. Watching Calendo pour in 33 points from all over the court was a point of emphasis afterward for the Chargers.
“I don’t care who you are, you should never allow a player to get wide-open looks like that,” Smith said. “The next person had 16. We cut those in half and this game goes down to the wire.”
Smith really didn’t know what to expect this winter. Along with graduation, a pair of players slated for fourth years on varsity — Grace Grunloh and Ella Oester — each suffered season-ending knee injuries in the offseason.
“We really don’t know what kind of team we have,” Smith said. “We basically have five returning players and six new players. Our overall depth is not where it should be.
“I have to play them because I can’t play these girls 30 minutes. You have to give them a break at some point. They have to grow up quick.”
When those injuries happened, it furthered a notion that Orozco needed to break out.
“It was a little crazy,” Orozco said. “A shock. I knew I needed to wake up and do a lot for my team.”
Smith, however, knows Orozco is capable of leading the way.
“She does a little bit of everything,” Smith said. “I play her in the post, but I could have her out on the perimeter. As the season goes on, I’ll really see what’s best for her.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
