By George Pohly, The Macomb Daily

POSTED: 11/20/17, 9:39 PM EST | UPDATED: 4 HRS AGO

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Pat Egan starts his fourth season as the girls basketball coach at Yale. The Bulldogs were 7-7 in BWAC games in 2016-17.GEORGE POHLY -- THE MACOMB DAILY

Armada coach John Baerwolf isn’t alone in thinking it’s time for change in the Blue Water Area Conference.

Croswell-Lexington has been the scourge of the girls basketball competition in recent years, and Baerwolf said the other seven BWAC teams are out to reverse the trend.

“They own all of us,” Baerwolf said Monday night in reference to the Pioneers, who’ve won five straight BWAC crowns. “We’re trying to get some change going.

“We’re all gunning for them.”

Armada might be as well-equipped as any team to make a run at Cros-Lex, which has won seven consecutive Class B district championships.

The Tigers return eight players from a team that finished second in the league with a 10-4 mark last season.

Sara Lesnesky and Marz Bell are returning senior starters who dedicated the off-season to giving this winter a special glow in Armada.

“Taking down the top team in our league is important to them,” Baerwolf said at the BWAC media day gathering.

Lesnesky, an Alma College recruit, focused on dribbling and perimeter shooting during off-season workouts.

“Our biggest goal this year is to get the league championship,” Lesnesky said. “Our team chemistry is the best of any team I’ve been with.”

Bell, the Tigers’ shooting guard, also worked to increase range and improve dribbling skills while she and teammates participated in more than 70 open-gym sessions since the 2016-17 season ended in March.

“I feel like we’re going in this year with the mindset that yes we can beat them,” she said of the Pioneers, who were 14-0 in the BWAC last season.

“Other years, we didn’t think we could compete with them. That switch in mindset over the offseason is something I’m excited about.”

All eight conference coaches return this season, Capac’s last in the league.

“It’s going to be a battle every night,” Baerwolf said.

“We want to compete with everybody,” Almont coach Robert Beneson, whose team comes off an 8-6 showing, added.

Yale went 7-7 last season. The Bulldogs return three starters.

“We played in a lot of close games last year,” coach Pat Egan said.

Yale starts the season next Tuesday against North Branch, which replaces Capac next school year.

Heather Lauwers made her debut as the Imlay City coach last season, and the Spartans finished 4-10.

Imlay City returns three starters.

“We have high goals this year,” Lauwers said.

Richmond went 9-5, Algonac 3-10 and Capac 1-13 last season.