Girls basketball preview: Lady Dogs defend crown

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Girls basketball preview: Lady Dogs defend crown

Sports

Friday, 30 November 2012 15:53

Harmony, Poinciana challenge in OBC

By Ken Jackson
Staff Writer
Harmony won the Orange Belt Conference, won two playoff games and advanced to the Class 7A-2 regional final last season — all firsts in the program’s history. The Longhorns are still a young team, and with other county schools bringing back impact players, the races for conference and district championships should be heated.
Harmony will be favored again in District 7A-6, while Osceola and Poinciana are two of the heavweights in 7A-5, along with experienced Gateway.
Osceola
The Kowgirls (20-8) posted another 20-win season and battled Harmony and Poinciana to the end for the OBC title. Coach Barner Cooks expects the team to be a contender again this winter, although the team’s OBC hopes took a blow with a 58-57 loss to Poinciana Nov. 16.
Three starters (senior wing Jazz Ramos, senior forward Jamecia Daniels, junior guard Montana Bass) return, and junior Gabby Goiens and sophomore Kimani Francios return to the varsity as well.
Cooks has faith in a crop of newcomers, headlined by 6-foot freshman center Cortavia Walker, seniors Nastassja Montoya, Johntea White and Kendell Knaich and sophomores Tatiana Cardona and Nicole Bravo.
“We will be young, but I am expecting us to be right there, competing for the district title and for our fifth OBC in six years,” he said. “We feel this can be our year.”
Osceola, 5-2, won its third in a row Thursday, 43-28, over Liberty.
Harmony
If the Longhorns are going to win 23 games and reach the regional final again, Coach Paul Strauch will have to find a way to do it without leaders and post presences Nia Frederick (Bethune Cookman) and Marie Gilbert, now in the rotation for Rollins College.
Juniors Julia Ingler, Stephanie Baur, Rebekah Fitzpatrick and Ragen Dotson all got plenty of minutes the last two seasons and enter their third varsity year.
Guard Allison Van Tassel and forward Katlyn Sparks are seniors. Strauch will look for a spark from young newcomers in sophomores Liz Rodriguez and Naomi James and freshman Abby Fitzpatrick.
“We are very small and will have to work very hard to rebound,” Strauch said. “But I think our district is wide open. Saint Cloud has great young girls and will only get better as the year goes on, Celebration has Gabby Ortiz and some good young role players.
“As far as the county goes, I think the OBC is Poinciana’s to lose. They have a ton of talent and size. Osceola has a couple of good players and are used to winning so they could beat Poinciana.”
The Lady Horns are 2-2 after beating Heritage Chrsitian, 54-40, Thursday. Fitzpatrick scored 19.
St. Cloud
The Bulldogs went 17-9 for their best season in recent memory, but Coach Chad Ansbuagh said the team will be full of new faces.
“We graduated six girls and had a starter (sophomore Astaja Tyghter) transfer out of the school,” he said. “(Senior center) Sarah Sullivan is the only full-time returning starter. “We started three freshmen and two sophomores in our tip-off game against Boone, so we will be very young.”
Sophomore guards Megan Pinkerton and Yairaliz Hernandez return to the varsity. Senior guard Candice Wilkins should also provide a boost, Ansbugh said.
Freshmen Gabby Costas, Alyssa Best and Kierra Crane spent all summer working with the varsity, and should make an impact as well.
Poinciana
New Coach Shane Whitsett takes over a Lady Eagles team that has been a consistent regional playoffs qualifier over the past several seasons under former coach Jamerson Jones.
The Lady Eagles will be strong again this year thanks to a veteran lineup that includes guard/forward Brandii Walker and center Tralonnie Tisdale, who both signed early to Southern University.
“We are expecting to have another successful season,” Whitsett, who came from Merritt Island, said. “We have about five girls returning with a lot of experience, and we should be athletic and physical.”
Also back are Gerie Navarro, Breyuna Walker and Majjdah Barnett along with Aluxus Darrisaw, Christina Jeane-Baptiste and Marriana Herrera.
Newcomers include Yvondra Lyons and Toni Watts.
Whitsett said the team is adapting to a new, more controlled game plan.
“Our goal is to be running on all cylinders come district and state playoff time,” he said. “As long as the girls buy into the system and we work hard ever day, keep a positive attitude and play defense, we will be ready to defend the district championship. We have the talent to have a great season, now we have to put it to work.”
The Lady Eagles, 7-1, beat Lake Minneola, 68-37, Thursday as Walker had 22 and Barnett added 13.
Celebration
Coach Bob Mouchet returns to lead the Lady Storm through the 7A-6 district race.
Mouchet said senior Gabby Ortiz, a fourth-year starter, will lead the squad after it lost five seniors to graduation.
Ortiz has averaged 12 points through her career, Mouchet said.
“The girls are developing good chemistry with each other. I feel that we will have a strong schedule this year with several 17-plus game winners from last season,” Mouchet said.
Senior Tuesday Webb is one of the team’s leading rebounders. She will get help on the glass from center Shazaaya Lirazano. Teesha Montoya joins Ortiz at guard and Sarah Stellwag is at small forward, Mouchet said.
Gateway
Coach Steve Robertson’s team is armed with seven seniors. Most were with him when he starting coaching the team four years ago. So with time of the essence, expectations are high in a district that includes Osceola and Poinciana, the favorites of late.
“And East Ridge is going to be strong, too. They brought everybody back,” Robertson said. “It’s going to be tough, but I’m thinking that by the time the (district) tournament starts we’ll be better and right in the thick of it.
“We’ve changes some of our schemes on defense and we’re letting the girls learn what we’re trying to do there.”
Of those seniors, Tiffany Charneco can play anywhere on the floor; she has good outside shooting range but is playing in the post out of necessity, Robertson said.
Jamie Olivo, Ashley Collazo and Jelisha Peterman have the ball-handling experience to run the offense, joined by Amanda Lopez, Arianna Diaz and Cindy Ayala.
Sophomore Daja Clayton has also worked her way into the rotation, and junior Christy Folk, one of Robertson’s better players from the flag football field, earned a spot as a small forward.
The Panthers are 3-2 after falling to East Ridge, 45-42, Thursday.
Heritage Christian
Coach Butch Wike said his team is young but talented enough to equal or exceed last season’s 13-9 record.
“We don’t have any seniors and we’re lacking in height,” Wike said. “But, the girls we do have are quick. We’ll work the offense around their quickness. We’ll do a lot of running.”
Leading the way are co-captains Abigail Diauto,a junior, and sophomore Katherine Ortiz.
Joining them are freshmen Katie Kleinhans, Lexirelis Ramos, Christina Birk and Taylor Suarez.
Eighth graders Syanne Rowe and Kirsten Walker will compete along with seventh graders Alexis Greaves and Sian Archibald.
“We only have 10 players, and five have never played varsity basketball before, but what they lack in experience they make up for with heart and hustle,” Wike said.
The Eagles play in the Florida Christian Care 3-1 after beating Calvary Christian, 40-38, Thursday as Archibald scored 20.
City of Life
Coach Rob Gorski thinks his team can make a strong run for the 2A-6 title.
“The girls know they play very good defense, offensively is where we need to become more consistent,” Gorski said. “If we play under control and not turn the ball over, we will be in great shape.”
Senior Abby Robinson and junior co-captains Azia Constance and Janina Lebron return.
“We lost some offense (to graduation) but we have athletes that work hard and we’ll get the job done,” Gorski said.
Constance had 18 points and 15 rebounds in a season-opening win against New Dimensions.
Also on the roster are senior Kareen Padilla, junor Caitlin Rutan and sophomores Tiffany Travelute, Nashaly Rivera, Rayna Johnston and Zohraia Ciquero. Also on the roster are Sarai Villa and Jaden Langer.
Robinson and Rutan each scored 6 in a 34-24 win over Brevard Christian Thursday.
Liberty
Coach Bryan Lockley takes over the Lady Chargers program. The Chargers are 0-5 after a 43-28 loss to OHS Thursday as Amiee Williams scored 15.
Rick Pedone contributed to this story.