Hoops on the Horizon

December 05, 2012 Last Updated: December 05, 2012 09:51 AM High School

Butler's Mackenzie O?Donnell goes to work in the post last season against Pine-Richland. She posted 15 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Tornado during her junior year.

Following are preview capsules for Butler County area girls basketball teams:

Coach: Dave Sherman, third yearLast year: 10-13, 5-5 in KSAC-SouthSherman is hoping his third season proves to be the charm.The Falcons made the District 9 playoffs last season for the first time in 10 years before bowing to Kane in the first round. The team returns the talent which Sherman believes can get the program to the next level.The only starter not returning is point guard Tricia Kerlin. Erin Logue, a very capable sophomore, will replace her.“She's always been a point guard, but it was a lot to handle as a freshman,” Sherman said of Logue. “But over the summer, she began to find her comfort zone.”Logue will be joined in the backcourt by junior Racheal Viertel and senior Emily Quaill.Senior forwards Kelsey Boocks and Meredith Snyder stand 5-foot-11 and 5-10, respectively. Boocks nearly averaged a double-double last year with 10.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Snyder scored 9.1 points per contest.“We're pretty tall for a girls team, especially in our starting lineup,” said Sherman. “Whether or not we are able to play an up-tempo style is going to depend a lot on our bench. We may play it in spurts to ease the players into it.”Many of this season's players took part in a summer league and played well.“Last year, we tried to get the girls to do better at the little things,” Sherman said. “Everything seemed to sink in over the summer. It was amazing. I'm excited to see how things pan out this season.”

Coach: Dorothea Epps, 10th yearLast Year: 7-15The Golden Tornado have the glue and the rubber band. Epps hopes to use those tools and others to return her program to prominence.“Our No. 1 goal is the section title,” the coach said. “That's where this program is used to being and these girls have worked hard to get there.”Butler's “glue” is senior point guard Samantha Marak.“She holds everything together for us out there,” Epps said. “She's also our best defensive player.”The “rubber band” is senior guard Caitlin Baxter, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL after averaging 15 points per game as a sophomore.“Our plan is to use Cait all over the place,” Epps said. “She can be a force inside as a forward and she can stretch a defense by playing guard and forcing teams to come out on her.”The Tornado have a strong inside presence in tall forwards Mackenzie O'Donnell and Julia Baxter. O'Donnell averaged 15 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season, while Baxter enjoyed double-digit scoring games as a freshman.Add the outside shooting ability of Morgan Pfabe and Kalynn Callihan, along with guard Alyssa DiPippa's knack to drive the lane and the Tornado have a versatile attack.“This could be our best scoring team in a number of years,” Epps said. “Where we need to improve is on the defensive side. That will be the key.“Mac and Julia are two tall forwards who can both score. And teams won't be able to double-team Mac inside now that Caitlin's back on the floor.”Epps said Butler may go as deep as 10 players in the rotation with Natalie Barkus, Lauren Bresnahan and Emily Eyth also providing depth.

Coach: Paul Sylba, first yearLast year: 10-12 overall, 7-7 in Section 1-AAFor the Yellowjackets, there's little doubt about one thing — Jessica Aulicino will be the go-to player.“Jessica's the focal point. She a tremendous leader,” said Sylba, who spent nine seasons as head coach at Riverview, then two years as an assistant at Kiski Area then in the same role with Freeport last year“All the kids respect Jessica in how she conducts her business. She wants to learn. I have to remember, she's a senior but she's still a kid. Between the lines, she's a complete player,” he added.Aulicino, a four-year starter, averaged 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds last season as Freeport qualified the WPIAL playoffs.She will be joined by two other returning starters in junior forward Michaela Bowser and sophomore forward Macy Smolic“Michaela started as a sophomore and picked up her intensity this year. At 5-11, she'll help Jess on the inside,” said Sylba. “Hopefully, she can score 10 points a game. Macy's a sophomore and she's an intense player.“All these girls are coachable,” he added. “It's exciting.”

Coach: Mike Hostetler, interimLast year: 14-9Two days before their first practice, the Eagles found out T.L. Eller was taking a leave of absence for the season to care for herself during her pregnancy.That puts Hostetler at the head of the bench after three years as Eller's assistant and many more under Roger Flynn before Eller arrived seven years ago.“I'm going to keep things close to what it was with T.L.,” Hostetler said.He'll have a familiar face beside him on the bench: Flynn, who coached the Grove City girls basketball team for 27 years, winning 531 games in the process.“I dragged him out of retirement,” Hostetler said. “It's been really easy to work together. We know each other. A lot of the stuff we did, we do now.”Hostetler hopes that includes winning.The Eagles made the District 10 playoffs for the second consecutive season last year and hope to make the next step.Corianne Hyduchak, a 5-7 junior guard, returns after a breakthrough campaign in 2011-12 in which she averaged 11.9 points per game.Danyelle Lucido will inherit the point guard duties and Jordyn Wyllie and Jen Ferguson will be expected to provide a presence in the post.“We have some expectations and hopes,” Hostetler said. “We'd like to finish higher than fourth in the region like we have the last two years, but Franklin, Hickory and Slippery Rock are all very good.”

Coach: Dave Kerschbaumer, eighth yearLast Year: 7-14 overall, 4-6 in the KSAC-SouthThe pieces were starting to come together a year ago.Now, Kerschbaumer hopes his young squad can move themselves up the KSAC standings.The Gremlins have one senior in forward Leah McGuire, one junior in guard Emily Schumacher and nine sophomores, many of whom received plenty of playing time last year.“The one good thing with freshmen is they become sophomores,” Kerschbaumer said. “They gained great experience. They had a little more success with seven wins (after consecutive three-win campaigns).“Instead of playing JV ball, they played varsity and that's great for the future.”The team's starting five will include sophomore guards Shanel Preston (12.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game), Emily LoPresti (6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.4 spg) and Annie Hegedus (6.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.3 apg), along with McGuire (4.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Schumacher (3.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg).Look for sophomore forward LeErin Jones and freshman forward LeAnn Gibson to get into the mix as well as sophomore guards Clara Stoughton and Brittany Coyle.While the basketball team has struggled the past few seasons, this year's group has excelled in other sports.“Karns City is a great environment for kids in sports,” Kerschbaumer said. “The kids come in with a great mindset. They're great athletes. If they can translate that onto the court, it's great to see.”

Coach: Sean O'Donnell, third yearLast Year: 9-13, lost in first round of WPIAL playoffsEven the coach may need a program to know the names of his players this season.The Knights have 17 freshmen and sophomores among the 25 players comprising the varsity and junior varsity squads.“Some of those freshmen and sophomores will have to contribute this year,” O'Donnell said.Only 5-foot-9 senior guard Samantha Logan (9.0 ppg) has a starting position locked up. Only four other players on the team — juniors Savanna Steffen, Sarah Brasili, Angela Cress and sophomore Abbie Thrower — played varsity minutes last year.“Our top-five returnees combined to average 15 points per game last year,” O'Donnell said. “We will have to be diligent and patient this season, build up discipline, play stubborn defense and learn how to protect the basketball.”

Coach: Tony Howard, sixth yearLast Year: 11-12 overall, 9-1 in Section 1-AAAThere is a different feel to practice this season for Mars girls basketball.“For the first time in a long time, the girls are really competitive in practice,” said Howard. “It's making each player better.”The 2011-12 season was a mixed bag for Mars as the team did tie Hampton for the Section 1-AAA title, but the Planets dropped a WPIAL first-round playoff game to South Fayette and finished under .500 for the first time in four years.Howard likes the talent on this year's squad, starting with guards Teresa Dallatore and Sara Getsy.“Both of them played point guard last year and will alternate there this season, depending on matchups,” said Howard. “We're confident in both of them handling the ball.”Getsy made steady improvement as a freshman last year and ended the season as Mars' third-leading scorer at 6.9 points per game.Sophomore Ali Goetz played underneath the basket a year ago and led Mars with 12.9 points per contest. She has added to her game.“She's developed a 3-point shot,” said Howard. “We will move her all over the floor this year.”Others who could make the starting lineup or at least be key players off the bench include guards Alyssa Mathews, Gabby Kosobucki, Bonnie Workman, Jessica Bunner and Paige Castora and forward Daniella Paras.Freshman guard Elyssa Paras had a productive summer and fall and could make an impact, as well.“We can go nine or 10 deep with girls we are confident with,” said Howard, “but sometimes it's hard to juggle everybody and find the right combination.”

Coach: Matt Stebbins, first yearLast Year: 14-11 overall, 8-2 in KSAC South, lost in District 9 Class AA title gameStebbins is a 23-year-old first-year head coach and the Warriors have just one senior and two juniors on a roster of 12.That doesn't bother Stebbins, though.“We have 12 kids to start,” he explained, “but we have 12 kids that love the game of basketball and we'll build from there.”Ashley Brehm, expected to be the team's starting point guard, represents Moniteau's lone senior and scored 4.0 points per game for the Warriors last season.She provides value on and off the floor.“Brehm brings great internal leadership,” said Stebbins. “Hopefully, we'll get a lot out of her, as well as the two juniors.”Moniteau's top returning scorer is junior power forward Fontaine Glenn, who averaged 4.3 points per game a season ago. Fellow junior Emily Rider supplied 1.7 points per game last year and will likely play a larger role this season.With a largely inexperienced roster, Stebbins is looking forward to seeing how far the girls can come in a new system.“It's going to be a different style of play than they're to used to,” he said. “I'm excited about the opportunity. I plan on being here for a while and try to develop this program.”

Coach: Rob Lombardo, fourth yearLast Year: 14-8 overall, 5-7 in Section 3-AAAALombardo likes what he sees in the Seneca Valley girls basketball team this season. He's hoping the results follow suit.The fourth-year coach graduated four starters from last year's team, including forward Alex Karika (18 points and nine rebounds per game).“Are we going to be able to replace Alex with just one girl?” asked Lombardo. “No, but I do believe we can be a better overall team. We should get more scoring from all the players on the floor.”The Raiders have improved in each of Lombardo's previous three seasons at Seneca, going from 2-18 to 7-15 to 14-8 last year, which was SV's first winning season in five years.He plans to move forward with nine of his 14 varsity players being either freshmen or sophomores.Those returning with the most varsity playing experience are forward Abbie Trzeciak (6-foot-0) and guard/forward Katie Brown (5-11), both juniors who are expected to start.Trzeciak was off to a great start to her sophomore season, scoring in double figures in five of her first eight games, but a concussion limited her playing time for the duration of the season. Brown started in her place and became a solid rebounder.Paige Montrose, a 5-10 freshman forward, will add even more height to SV's frontcourt.Playing point guard could be one of four girls — Kaitlyn Eagle, Meghan Hess, Lexus Lambert and Christina Dunning.“All four of them will be handling the ball at some point,” said Lombardo. “(Hess) is our best pure shooter, so she will see a lot of time at shooting guard.“If we need to be quick, we have five girls who are about 5-6 and can run the floor,” he added. “We also have size and can stick five girls on the court with the shortest one being 5-10. We have a lot of flexibility.”

Coach: Christin Miller, second yearLast year: 14-9Miller isn't backing off from a bold prediction.“I dangled the (District 10) championship in front of the girls this year,” Miller said. “I think it's a completely realistic goal.”That goal may have gotten a bit easier to attain thanks to the rapid recovery of 5-7 senior guard Morgan Siebka, who suffered a severe knee injury in the spring and was thought to be lost for at least the first month of the season.Instead, Siebka will be ready to go from the start.Miller, though, had her team playing this summer as if they would not have their leading scorer.That helped other players round into better form, the coach said.One of those players was junior 5-4 point guard Riley McGonigle, who may be poised for a big season.“She has a nice little shot,” Miller said of McGonigle. “She's just never looked to use it before.“(This summer), she was demoralizing point guards,” Miller added.The Rockets also have a pair of post players primed for a productive campaign in 6-foot junior forward Nicole Papley and 5-9 junior center Emily Campbell.Their presence should open things up for senior guard Haley Angerett, who is a dangerous outside shooter.Angerett also has worked hard to improve other aspects of her game.“She's actually coming in and playing a little bit of point guard, also,” Miller said. “It's a nice little change-up. In our last scrimmage, Riley was ill, so I wanted to move Haley there because her ball-handling in practice has gotten better. Haley really needed to develop her baseline drive and she's taken that to the next level.”For the Rockets, success may come down to shooting percentage.Slippery Rock shot less than 25 percent from the floor in six games last season, losing five of them.“We get good quality shots, it's just a matter of putting the ball in the hoop,” Miller said.

Coach: Ken Mortimer, first yearLast Year: 8-14 overall, 3-7 KSAC SouthA little short on size, Mortimer hopes his Damsels can outrun the opposition.“I'd like to push the ball whenever we can,” said Mortimer. “Up-tempo is the best. That's the way I played basketball. I think that's more fun to watch and I think the players have more fun doing that.“Our strength will probably be our defense,” he added. “I'm getting them to buy into playing defense and that's what we're going to have to do to win some games.”Union returns two of its top-three scorers from a season ago in seniors Delani Priester (11.5 points per game) and Mackenzie Divins (6.0).“Delani has been a starter for four years now. She's knows what's going on out there,” said Mortimer. “She makes good decisions with the ball, she's a good ball handler, has a good shot. She's a good all-around player.”At 5-foot-10, Divins is adjusting to a new role underneath the hoop and will start at center for the Damsels after playing mostly on the perimeter last year.Kassie McGarrity, a junior, has emerged as a solid contributor so far in practice after averaging 3.4 points per game last season.It's uncertain how the Damsels will fare this season with stiff competition in the KSAC-South, but Mortimer is looking forward to finding out.“This is something I've always wanted to do,” the first-year coach explained. “I'll be excited when the season starts and we can start playing some games.”Eagle sports editor John Enrietto and Eagle staff writers Mike Kilroy, Derek Pyda, Sam Tallarico and Jason Orfao contributed to this report.