Winter Sport Preview: Team-by-team look at Washtenaw County girls basketball teams
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AnnArbor.com's second in a series of six winter high school sport previews focuses on Washtenaw County's girls basketball teams.
DeVonyea Johnson (sr., G), Huron: With the graduation of all-time leading scorer Tyler Hardy, it’s Johnson who will step into the role as the River Rats’ go-to scorer. She was a first team All-SEC selection as a junior and is the team’s lead returning scorer.
Lindsey Lammers (sr., G), Milan: In 2008-09, Lammers was first team all-Huron League, all-region and an All-State honorable mention. She averaged 18 points and 4.5 assists per game, and was an 82-percent free throw shooter.
Kierra Rolax (sr., G/F), Willow Run: Rolax averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game as a junior and will be the focus of most, if not all, of Willow Run’s plays on offense. She’ll be called upon to handle the ball, come off screens and even work in the post.
Kaitlin Ward (sr., F), Saline: Ward had 14 double-doubles last season, averaging 11 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. She was a first team All-Area selection as a junior.
CHELSEA BULLDOGS
Chelsea will have to grow up quick if it hopes to make a run at a fourth consecutive Class B district title. The Bulldogs have just two players that saw significant minutes last year and none of their 11 players are seniors.
Coach: Todd Blomquist (10th year)
Last season: 13-11 and tied for second in SEC White. District champs for third consecutive year.
Key returners: Rachel Cooperrider (jr., G/F), Amber Stebelton (jr., F), Mackenzie Cole (so., G).
Key newcomers: Hannah Fitzsimmons (jr., G), Jessica Ruikka (so., F).
Strength: Athletic ability and team defense. The girls work hard to make the other team beat themselves.
Weakness: The team lacks significant size down low, therefore rebounding could be an issue.
Outlook: Teams without seniors usually lack a sense of urgency. Chelsea could be one year away from being scary.
Coach Todd Blomquist says: “We’re young. Starting with 11 girls, I have six sophomores and five juniors, that’s as young as we’ve been in my ten years. The first time I haven’t had a senior.”
DEXTER DREADNAUGHTS
Though the Dreadnaughts have eight players returning from last year’s squad, coach Mike Bavineau says the starting lineup is far from set in stone. He hopes the competition in practice among the returners and a significant group of underclassmen will translate to game readiness.
Coach: Mike Bavineau (15th year).
Last season: Finished 9-13 and tied for second in the SEC White with Chelsea.
Key returners: Kaitlyn Rize (sr., G), Elly Mioduszewski (sr., F).
Key newcomers: Too early to tell.
Strength: The Dreadnaughts have depth and experience on their side.
Weakness: Ball handling and shooting.
Outlook: With eight returning players from last year, and newcomers competing for starting spots, practice will be more competitive which should translate to being more competitive in games.
Coach Mike Bavineau says: “There’s no real standouts, no one that jumps off the page at you, but all of them have abilities that if we are able to mesh correctly, we’ll be successful.”
GABRIEL RICHARD FIGHTING IRISH
Last year’s squad only had one senior and finished last in the Catholic League’s AA division. The team took a big blow in the preseason as Lauren Peters, who in spring and summer leagues showed signs of developing into a premier player, went down with a torn ACL. Having six other seniors on the squad should help the Fighting Irish be more competitive overall.
Coach: Matt Carroll (3rd year)
Last season: Finished 5-15 and last in the Catholic League’s AA division.
Key returners: Six seniors.
Key newcomers: Sarah Falvey (so., G).
Strength: Team as a whole is long and athletic and should give teams trouble defensively.
Weakness: Team lacks patience on offense, which often leads to turnovers.
Outlook: Only having 10 players on the roster could be a problem as Richard likes to press on defense and run on offense.
Coach Matt Carroll says: “Most important for us will be the development of Sarah Falvey as our point guard. If we can decrease turnovers from last year and be more patient on offense, we should be OK.”
GREENHILLS GRYPHONS
The Gryphons are young and thin on numbers, with just 10 players and one senior. After losing the school’s second all-time leading scorer and first team All-Stater Jackie Walker to graduation, Greenhills needs to find a way to replace her 20 points and 15 rebounds a game. Coach Lisa Mack thinks Marissa Thompson could be up to the task of shouldering the load eventually, but it will take time.
Coach: Lisa Mack (6th year)
Last season: Greenhills was 15-6 and lost to Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in districts.
Key returners: Leah Topper (sr., F), Rachael Darrabie (jr., G), Marissa Thompson (so., F).
Key newcomers: Jessica Lofton Williams (jr., C).
Strength: Scrappiness and defense.
Weakness: Confidence. The players can shoot, but need to work through tentativeness.
Outlook: With only 10 players and one senior, it’ll be a rebuilding year.
Coach Lisa Mack says: “Because of Jackie Walker’s presence, none of these girls have been relied upon for scoring and that’s a different kind of mental challenge to have to step into that role.”
HURON RIVER RATS
Last year’s best team in the area graduated two starters from its district championship squad, but they were both four-year starters, and one was the school’s all-time leader scorer (Tyler Hardy). With Detroit Country Day, Plymouth Salem, Inkster, Livonia Ladywood and a trip to Cleveland all on the non-conference slate, the River Rats will find out real quick how good they are.
Coach: Steve Vinson (7th year)
Last season: Huron was 20-4 and won the SEC Red and districts.
Key returners: DeVonyea Johnson (sr., G), Charlise Slater (sr., G), Jasmine McGee (sr., C).
Key newcomers: Kelcy Barott (jr., F).
Strength: Huron has depth and experience on its side, returning eight players from last year’s district championship squad, three of which were starters and seven of which are seniors.
Weakness: Moving on after graduating two four year starters in all-time leading scorer Tyler Hardy and Helen Steinhauser.
Outlook: Huron’s tough schedule could mean bumps along the road, but they’ll be battle tested come playoff time.
Coach Steve Vinson says: “I don’t think we have one player capable of putting up the points that (Tyler Hardy) put up. It’ll have to be a collective effort.”
LINCOLN RAILSPLITTERS
Lincoln struggled last season with just two wins. Though he lost eight seniors from last year’s squad, coach Johnny Epps likes his young team's athleticism and hopes to play more up-tempo this year. The first and fourth quarters killed the Railsplitters last year, and Epps thinks if his team can avoid digging early holes and learn to close out games they should fare well.
Coach: Johnny Epps (4th year)
Last season: Finished 2-18 with both wins in conference.
Key returners: Megan Marchildon (sr., F), Emily Mott (jr., G).
Key newcomers: Tierra Williams (so., G), Jazz Williams (jr., G).
Strength: Speed and quickness on the defensive end.
Weakness: Lincoln doesn’t have a go-to scoring threat, and no one has emerged yet.
Outlook: Megan Marchildon is athletic but raw, she averaged four points and nine rebounds per game last year in just her second year ever playing basketball. If she continues to progress, so too should her team.
Coach Johnny Epps says: “As a coaching staff we feel like we’ve turned a page and hopefully we can get over that hump the next two years. We’re excited about the future.”
MANCHESTER FLYING DUTCHMEN
Manchester returns eight seniors and all five starters from last year’s squad, including Stephanie Ball and Tracy Schaible, who are interchangeable at the point and shooting guard positions and who both averaged 10 points last season. Manchester has never had a winning season, and coach Cori Kastel says this year’s squad is better than any team she’s coached in her four years at the helm.
Coach: Cori Kastel (4th year)
Last season: Manchester was 8-13 and finished fifth in the Cascades Conference.
Key returners: Tracy Schaible (sr., G), Stephanie Ball (sr., G), Megan Bossory (sr., F), Emily Warner (sr., F).
Key newcomers: McKenna Erkfritz (fr., C)
Strength: Depth is a strength and it will need to be as Manchester will try to play the aggressor on defense and score points off of turnovers.
Weakness: Having never been a part of a winning team, the players still lack confidence.
Outlook: You can’t understate the importance of experience, and senior leadership and Manchester has a ton of both.
Coach Cori Kastel says: “Our bench is very deep and my girls are very versatile. I have a lot of girls who can play the guard or forward position which gives me a lot of flexibility.”
MILAN BIG REDS
Milan upset previously undefeated Ida last season before falling to Chelsea in the district finals. The win proved to the players that they can win the big game, and with this being coach Jeff Scott’s second year as coach, the girls will be more accustomed to his system.
Coach: Jeff Scott (2nd year)
Last season: Went 13-10 and lost to Chelsea in district finals.
Key returners: Lindsey Lammers (sr., G), Samantha Harmon (sr., F), Allie McAffee (sr., C), Lani Ernst (sr., F).
Key newcomers: Jaylynn Smiley (jr., C), Alicia Wollom-Pace (jr., G).
Strength: Milan has what every team wants: A pure scorer in Lammers. Defenses will have to commit to her, and when they do, it will open the floor up for others.
Weakness: Though upsetting Ida last year helped, the girls still don’t play as confident as Scott would like them to.
Outlook: Not having to get used to new coach should mean an improved Milan squad.
Coach Jeff Scott says: “There was something like five coaches here in four years or something like that. No stability, these girls didn’t know who or what to believe, and now we’re starting to build.”
PIONEER PIONEERS
The Pioneers are young and have a tough out of conference schedule with East Lansing, Romulus and Flint Northern all on the docket. Despite Pioneer’s youth, coach Crystal Westfield likes her team’s depth and scrappiness, but whether or not that scrappiness will translate into being competitive at the varsity level remains to be seen.
Coach: Crystal Westfield (19th year)
Last season: 13-8, lost in opening round of districts to Huron.
Key returners: Kamilah Carter (jr., G), Maya Richmond (jr., F), Claire Laetz (sr., F), Alana Israel (jr., C).
Key newcomers: Megan Schechtman (jr., G), Emma Brann (jr., C).
Strength: The Pioneers are fast as a team, and scrappy on defense. Combining the two could lead to points in transition.
Weakness: The Pioneers are young and don’t have a lot of varsity experience.
Outlook: the Pioneers should be one of the top teams in the SEC, but may struggle in a tough out of conference schedule.
Coach Crystal Westfield says: “It’s hard to teach someone to be hungry, to want to chase someone down on defense, to go up strong. If we want to play with top teams we need to find that.”
SALINE HORNETS
Last year the Hornets were decimated by injuries, with players sitting out a combined 58 games. Kaitlin Ward, who averaged a double-double last season, is a returning first-team All-Area player. If the supporting cast can stay healthy, the Hornets should be competitive.
Coach: Jason Pickett (7th year)
Last season: Saline was 10-12 and lost in the district finals to Bedford.
Key returners: Kaitlin Ward (sr., F), Caili Dalian (sr., G), Kelsie Frey (sr., G), Madeline Winters (sr., C).
Key newcomers: Emily Everett (jr., F), Britten Clark (so., G).
Strength: Saline has the only returning first team All-Area player in Kaitlin Ward and a team littered with seniors.
Weakness: Though most of the girls have varsity experience, because of injury, not much of it has been playing experience.
Outlook: If the Hornets can stay healthy, they should be much improved.
Coach Jason Pickett says: “We’ll be a defensive team first, and as the year goes on the defense should get better and better. It’s our calling card.”
SKYLINE EAGLES
Skyline will get its first taste of regular season varsity action this season as the all freshman/sophomore squad will play half its season against Class B, C and D varsity opponents. The other half of Eagles’ schedule will be against Class A junior varsity squads. The Eagles will compete in a Class B district tournament.
Coach: Kristy Bilbie-Bekius (2nd year)
Last season: Competed against other all-freshman squads and in Class C districts, losing in the first round.
Key returners: Libby Barber (so., G), Meggie Smith (so., G).
Key newcomers: Allison Young (fr., G), Kira Smith (fr., F).
Strength: Team plays with a lot of intensity and is smart.
Weakness: The entire team is making the huge leap from freshman ball to varsity competition with barely anyone old enough to drive on the roster. Adjusting to the pace and intensity of varsity competition will be a challenge.
Outlook: The half varsity half JV schedule is a unique and creative approach to Skyline’s situation, but the fact of the matter is older teams will likely have their way with the Eagles.
Coach Kristy Bilbie-Bekius says: “The biggest challenge we’ll have is our mindset going from varsity one night to JV the next night and just getting over the idea of who we’re playing and just play.”
WHITMORE LAKE TROJANS
Four wins may not seem like a lot, but Whitmore Lake hadn’t had that many since 2001, which means the Trojans’ 4-17 campaign last season was a positive stride for the program. The Trojans hope to build on that in coach Casey Livingston’s second year on the job.
Coach: Casey Livingston (2nd year)
Last season: The Trojans enjoyed their best season since 2001, going 4-17.
Key returners: Kelsey Fearer (sr., G), Abby Flores (sr., G).
Key newcomers: Miranda Owens (so. G), Julia Castro (jr., G).
Strength: Players are buying into selflessness and a team style of play.
Weakness: Turnovers and offensive rebounding.
Outlook: The Trojans success will likely hinge on the production they get from their eight seniors.
Coach Casey Livingston says: “It’s baby steps, but we’re improving slowly. Overall, I think we’re getting there, just not as quickly as we’d like.”
WILLOW RUN FLYERS
Willow Run will play an independent schedule, but will see former Mega Conference rivals like Dearborn Heights Robichaud, Inkster and Highland Park. Due to eligibility issues and a general lack of turnout, the JV and varsity squads have merged, which will equate to a very young Willow Run squad with very few proven players.
Coach: Anthony Davis (5th year)
Last season: The Flyers were 7-13 and lost to Inkster in the second round of districts.
Key returners: Nakiah McDonald (sr., G), Kierra Rolax (sr., G/F).
Key newcomers: Myaha Boone (fr., C).
Strength: Speed on defense and in counterattack.
Weakness: The Flyers have trouble scoring out of set offense, most point will have to be created off turnovers.
Outlook: When players that would be playing on JV if one existed comprise the majority of your lineup, it’s usually not too good of a sign.
Coach Anthony Davis says: “I think we’re going to take some lumps, we’re pretty young. I have three seniors and two didn’t get much time last year, the rest of the team is freshmen and sophomores.:
YPSILANTI PHOENIX
Ypsilanti has had a tough transition to the Southeastern Conference in some sports, but the switch could be a positive one during basketball season. Another transition the Phoenix will be dealing with is to new coach Chris Slater, the program’s third coach in as many years.
Coach: Chris Slater (1st year)
Last season: 14-6.
Key returners: Delissia Morris (jr., G).
Key newcomers: Too early to tell, but the Phoenix may get some help from last year’s undefeated freshman squad.
Outlook: The Phoenix enjoyed some success last season, but will once again have to deal with the struggles that accompany getting used to a new coach.
YPSILANTI CALVARY CHRISTIAN
Low numbers is usually an issue for the Class D academy, but first-year coach Rick Roe is encouraged by the 10 girl turnout this season.
Coach: Rick Roe (1st season)
Last season: Lost in district semifinals.
Key returners: Paige Getchell (sr., C), Annie Hay (sr., F), Jaime Thurmand (jr., G).
Key newcomers: Too early to tell.
Strength: Three-point shooting.
Weakness: Physical endurance. Most of the preseason has been dedicated to weight training and conditioning.
Outlook: When you live by the three, you die by the three. How the shooters fare, so too will Calvary Christian.
Coach Rick Roe says: “We’ve got a pretty solid returning team; my expectations are we’ll be pretty good."
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