Story by Jeff Moeller, freelance correspondent

For Bristol Machgan, Richmond Hill has been a whole new world. 

The California transplant has quickly adjusted to her new home on and off the basketball court. Coming from a small Christian school of 80 students in Pismo Beach, Machhan welcomed the larger environment.

It surely has definitely been a bigger one for the sophomore forward. 

“I was anxious to move across the country, but excited for the potential opportunity to play larger schools with better competition on a consistent basis,” exclaimed Machgan. “I’m having a lot of fun playing for Richmond Hill and playing in the new arena is amazing.”

Machgan began playing the game because of her younger brother Colt's influence. It was an instant connection.

“After watching my younger brother play basketball for a few years, I signed up for my first year of rec ball in fourth grade,” explained Machgan. “I loved the game, and so I’ve been playing ever since.  I played rec, travel, middle school, and now high school.”

This season, Machgan is averaging 4.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. However, since returning from a recent knee injury, Machgan has averaged 11.3 points and 3.3 assists.

Head coach Sarah Jones has been stirred by Machgan’s performance.

“Bristol moved here this year and has been a great addition to our program,” beamed Jones.  “She works so hard, is very coachable, and is a great teammate. 

“She unfortunately had a knee injury that kept her out a few games a couple weeks ago, but she has worked her way back on the court the last few games.” 

Machgan stated how play against larger schools has been a reality this season rather than an anomaly. There has been a difference this year on a few fronts.

“Other than our rival school, the competition in our league was really low,  so I was always excited to play bigger schools in the area to see how we could perform,” reflected Machgan. “ Our league was small, so the games were quicker, more intense, and the teams in our region are bigger and better coached.”

Machgan also cited former travel coach, Spencer Barry, who made her move to the Georgia court without any major issues.

“He was pretty intense,” recalled Machgan. “He prepared me to play against better competition, and it made the tra 

She also highlighted some notable changes here from her previous school being longer and more frequent travel times, a booster club providing meals and necessities, and the Wildcats’ spacious new gym.  

“They really take care of me here,” stressed Machgan. “He was great at preparing me to play against better competition so this made the transition easier.”

With several young players like Machgan, the Wildcats are 9-13 overall and 0-8 in regional play. They hosted Southeast Bulloch Tuesday and will host Tift County Friday in a regional matchup. 

Jones is hopeful her team can jell together in the coming week.

“We have had our ups and downs, but the girls continue to work hard to get better,”  emphasized Jones. “Our goal is to put it all together at tournament time. We have shown every puzzle piece needed to win these competitive games. We just haven’t put them all together consistently.”

With the season winding down, Machgan knows what she needs to do to raise her game.

“I need to get stronger and faster,” said Machgan. “I’ve been taking weight training classes with coach Jones,  but I need to continue to work on all aspects of my game, dribbling, passing, and shooting.”

Until then, though, Machgan is relishing every moment with her new teammates.

“The whole moving experience has been very exciting,”  declared Machgan. “I really love my new teammates too. I had the opportunity to meet Coach Jones and some of my teammates over the summer. They were welcoming, supportive, and got me involved from the beginning.”

Her coach shares similar sentiments.

“We know that she will continue to work hard,” said Jones about Machgan. “She will get better and further develop her game.”