By Andy Walter

SMYRNA — Amyah Hicks said you can see the surprise sometimes in people’s eyes.

It’s like when Smyrna High’s girls’ basketball scores are mentioned at school and the Eagles won again.

“The teachers, they raise their eyebrows every time,” Hicks said with a smile. “And I’ve got people coming up and telling me, ‘I’m going to your next game.’ It’s a really good feeling.”

It’s a lot different feeling for Smyrna’s players, too.

But, after failing to win more than four games in any of their last three seasons, the Eagles are 4-1 with three straight wins in the early going. Smyrna’s players are definitely enjoying being winners so far.

“Last year we were just used to losing most games,” said sophomore Abbie Matthews. “But this year we started off a lot better. When you win, it just builds your confidence up a lot more.

“Just coming to practice knowing, ‘Oh we can actually do this’ — we believe in ourselves.”

Last winter’s COVID-impacted season was a difficult one for the Eagles. They finished just 4-11 after losing their final six games.

Now in their third season under coach Dwight Burke, Smyrna’s players say they’ve simply worked hard to get things turned around. They say they’re also playing more as a team than a collection of individuals.

“I feel like this year we have more chemistry,” said senior Deleon Foster. “Last year we had COVID and the year before everyone had to get used to a new coaching staff.

“I just feel like, as a team, we’re growing with each other. On the court, it feels like a family.”

It’s been a long time now since the glory days of former star Betnijah Laney when the Eagles went to the DIAA state finals and semifinals in 2010 and ’11.

Smyrna had three good seasons after that but now have not finished with a winning record since 2014. The Eagles are a combined 9-46 over the last three years.

The 35-year-old Burke, who played at Marquette alongside future NBA star Jimmy Butler for a couple seasons, has been trying to get the program on track for the past three years.

Assistant coach Enrique Gumbs said the players deserve the credit for putting in the work to start winning more games.

“They’ve been open and receptive to us,” said Gumbs, the former Caravel standout. “They’re a tough group of girls. They work together and they make sure they’re doing the little things that count. We’re proud of them.”

It won’t be easy for the Eagles to keep winning at this pace. When they return from the holiday break on Jan. 4, Smyrna starts off with Henlopen North road games at Cape Henlopen, Caesar Rodney and Dover.

Gumbs said the coaches were just showing the players the scores of their games from the 2019-20 season. He said they lost 10 games by at least 30 points.

“They went through it, night in and night out,” said Gumbs. “You have to hold on to those feelings to make sure that you come out and play hard. Because you can be good one night and then the next night it can be something else.

“You have to stay tough during tough times. And when things are good, you’ve got to stay focused. They’ve done a good job of not being too high or too low.”

For now, Smyrna’s players are going to enjoy winning. They’re going to try to make it last by continuing to do the things that got them here.

“It has been fun, it really has,” said Hicks. “What’s different about this team is we’re more together. We’re a group of hustlers. We all get along and we have fun.

“I feel like hard work is finally paying off. It’s an all-year thing. I’m excited for the next thing moving forward.”