January 09, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

Postseason looks crazy in Division V this year

This is the fourth and final article in a series of stories previewing the high school winter sports season. Today: girls' basketball.

by Keith Peters

Year in and out, the weakest division in the Central Coast Section girls' basketball tournament arguably has been Division V.

The competition has been so uninspiring in recent years that Sacred Heart Prep and Pinewood have bolted the division for no other reason than to play better teams - even though section titles and, in some cases, state meet berths, were assured in the lower division.

This season, however, is different. The CCS, realizing the division was perhaps the weakest overall, increased school enrollment to make the division more competitive by allowing more teams to compete - thus eliminating the need for some teams to move up to a higher division. Last year, Division V schools had to have an enrollment of 299 or fewer students. This season it's 350.

This, of course, is good news for the CCS and perhaps bad news for some of the local girls' teams. Castilleja and Sacred Heart Prep, which played in Division IV in 2003, this season will compete alongside Pinewood and defending section champion Eastside Prep.

"That's quite a Final Four," said Castilleja coach Jez McIntosh.

Indeed. Division V suddenly is a 50 percent off clothing sale with everyone grabbing for the same purse.

Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler sees this as a good thing for the division.

"This is why we moved up to D-2, to seek competition," Scheppler said. "I'm excited with Division V and I welcome the challenge. The true athletes want competition."

But with only the CCS finalists advancing to the NorCal playoffs, two local squads that normally competed for section honors are going to be very unhappy this season.

The question is, who are those teams going to be?

Pinewood, which has won six straight CCS titles (the past three in Division II), returns to Division V for the first time since 2000, when the Panthers were the top-ranked team in the state heading into the NorCal playoffs.

Sacred Heart Prep, which won the Division IV state title in 1999, returns to Division V for the first time since 1998 when Lamont Quattlebaum took over the coaching reins from Mike Ciardella. The Gators are now coached by Quattlebaum's wife, the former Wendy Miller.

Castilleja, which reached the Division IV semifinals last season, also returns to D-5 for the first time since 1998 and has all kinds of goals still waiting to be achieved.

Eastside Prep, meanwhile, has been in D-5 since the Panthers began playing competitively seven years ago for coach Gretchen Seeley. The EP girls won their first-ever section title a year ago and advanced all the way to the NorCal championship game before having their best-ever season ended.

"It's definitely going to be a heck of a division for CCS," McIntosh said. "It's exciting. It's really open."

Where the Division V semifinals in the past have offered all the suspense of a pony ride, this season's semis - Sacred Heart Prep hosted in 2003 -- could be more important than the finals.

"Using a baseball analogy, the CCS semis are not the World Series but the League Championship Series," Scheppler said. "If you get to the CCS final, you're moving on to NorCals. It's like playing in the World Series is your reward."

Said Eastside Prep coach Gretchen Seeley: "With Pinewood and Sacred Heart (and Castilleja) playing Division V, they up the level of competition drastically, and Redwood Christian is always a tough matchup. Division V this year will be tough to win, but a great honor to win."

But, we're getting ahead of ourselves.

"That's two months away," McIntosh said of the CCS tournament. "First things first. We have a league title to win."

So here's a look at the season ahead:
Castilleja

The Gators haven't won a league title since winning the Girls Private School League crown in 1985. They just missed last season after finishing 10-2 in the West Bay Athletic League, losing the league title to Mercy-San Francisco.

Castilleja already has taken steps to reverse last season's runnerup finish to Mercy by beating the defending champs, 41-39, Tuesday night in The City.

The Gators (1-0, 10-3) return seven players from last season's fine 25-7 squad that reached the CCS Division IV semifinals before being blown away by Notre Dame-Salinas by 34 points. Back leading the way is junior guard Mika Peterman, the MVP of the WBAL in 2003.

Peterman is averaging close to 20 points per game and already has surpassed 1,000 career points. She leads a young, but ever-improving squad that includes junior Nikki Perlman, a WBAL second-team choice last season and the team's leading rebounder, and senior Allison Baxterbeck, another key rebounder. The other starters include seniors Logan McClure and Kate VanderPloeg.

Perlman pulled down 16 rebounds and scored 15 points against Mercy, after Peterman sat out much of the first half with a slight knee injury. She returned in time to make two free throws with 1.4 seconds left to clinch the victory.

While winning their first league title is important, "winning CCS is definitely a goal," McIntosh said. "Just getting there was the first step. Getting as far as we did (last year) was a huge momentum-builder for the program."

Now, the bar has been raised higher.

"If we can get to the finals - for one game, based on our defense, we can give anyone problems," McIntosh said.

McIntosh said his team is more disciplined on defense and is understanding how everyone needs to be involved offensively. As good as Peterman is, she can't alone carry the team.

"Teams who scout us and try to run a defense to take Mika out . . . we like that," McIntosh said. "The other players see that as a challenge."
Eastside Prep

The Panthers are off to a 10-3 start, their best in school history, after finishing second, third and fifth (consolation title) in the three tournaments they've entered.

Seeley, in her seventh year as head coach, has three players scoring in double figures, "which has been handy when any given one has had an off night," Seeley said.

Junior guard Brijitti Crum leads the team in scoring at 17 points a game, while shooting 45 percent from three-point range. She scored 55 points during a 2-1 showing in the Nike Hoopfest tournament last week in Santa Barbara.

Senior guard Chantelle Brown is averaging 14.5 ppg after scoring at a 17.5 clip the past three years. She does lead the squad in rebounding and assists, with only 17 turnovers and is averaging 18 points an outing in her past four games. Senior Sade Johnson brings passion and intensity to the floor, in addition to 12 points a game.

Rounding out the starters are junior Sharissa McDaniel and senior Marissa McGee, the team's tallest player at 5-foot-9 and one of the three senior co-captains. McDaniel is an excellent transition point guard while McGee's dedication and hard work have paid off with early acceptance to Stanford University.

"It's a testimony to how hard she has worked consistently though the years, both on and off the court," Seeley said of McGee.

The remainder of the squad includes junior Al'lisha Farris and seven freshmen.

"Because the majority of the game is played by the five starters, we will need to remain healthy and out of foul trouble in every contest to continue to be a strong team," Seeley said.

Seeley said her team goals include giving up no easy baskets and no second shots. Accomplishing that should make for a very successful season.
Gunn

The Titans went 8-13 last season (3-9 in the De Anza Division) and fell into the weaker El Camino Division. Gunn, however, continues to struggle. The Titans (0-1, 2-8) lost their division opener Tuesday to visiting Los Altos, 41-37.

Leanne Perricone (5-10), last season's Freshman of the Year in the De Anza Division, is back and joined by senior Kaja Martin (5-10), an honorable mention selection.

Senior Claire Cruz returns as a three-point threat while junior Jessica Perricone is another returning starter. Seniors Amadea Britton (5-10), Jessica Bair and A.J. Stevenson provide experience while junior Jill Klausner and sophomores Audrey Pereira and Patty Fung provide depth for head coach Sebastian Poitier.
Menlo School

The Knights have a new coach in Joe McDonald, last season's assistant who inherits a team that lost nine seniors - including the entire starting lineup -- off a solid 20-12 squad that lost to Sacred Heart Prep in the CCS Division IV semifinals a year ago. Junior Julia Martin, an honorable-mention pick on the All-PAL North Division team in 2003, is back to lead the way.

McDonald's senior leadership consists of Laura Crowe, Tiffany Goldy, Sarah Tomlanovich and Jackie Stark. However, none started last season.

Martin and fellow junior Konstance Kirkendoll have been the offensive leaders thus far as the Knights have gotten off to a 2-8 start (0-1 in league). Menlo was routed by league favorite Westmoor on Tuesday, 62-29. Kirkendoll scored a team-high 13 points.

Freshman Alex Shepard, junior Anna Wipfler and junior Christina White have been contributing, as has junior Jaqui Rice, daughter of NFL great Jerry Rice. Menlo-Atherton

The Bears have a nice combination of senior leadership and youthful talent, but veteran coach Pam Wimberly is still trying to combine the two successfully. M-A is just 3-9 after opening its PAL South Division season with a 50-42 loss to host Burlingame on Wednesday.

"The seniors have to step up and take the leadership," Wimberly said. "The entire team offense has to be more aggressive and we need to play better defense."

Wimberly needs her seniors - Meredith Pressfield, Sarah Bowser, Lauren Stockman, Sarai Alataua and Ashley Strong - to take charge and show the way for young standouts like sophomore Mia Sanchez and freshmen Sigourney Jellins and Christina Dixon.

Sophomore Ann Sbardellati, a 6-footer, also has shown flashes along with 5-6 sophomore Karley Marty, who recently returned from a shoulder injury suffered in the first game of the season.
Mid-Peninsula

The Dragons are still looking for their first win of the year under coach Earl White. A lack of offense has hurt Mid-Pen during its 0-7 preseason showing.

The roster includes seniors La Toya O'Neal and Shirelle Reese, juniors Zaira Alaniz, Esther Cisneros, Kathryn Wermuth and Kate Lawson, plus freshmen Jessica Kanter and Diana Reisman.

Palo Alto

The Vikings (1-0, 12-4) are well-set to make a run at a third straight SCVAL De Anza Division title this season. Despite losing league MVP Megan Martin to Princeton, the Vikings return the division's Junior of the Year in Sara Schulte (5-10) and fellow first-teamer Jossy Tseng off last year's 20-7 team that fell in the second round of CCS.

Also returning are current senior starters Savannah Hayes (5-10) and Nora Morrison while newcomer Bre Clay, a sophomore, rounds out the top five.

"We have seen some good opponents in the first half of the season and have responded well," said Amy Stock, last season's Coach of the Year in the division.

Paly has five sophomores on the team, including Megan Grant and Dami Wusu, both key players off the bench. All have taken time to adjust to the varsity game, but are coming along and contributing.

Stock got nine different players onto the floor Tuesday night during a 56-26 division-opening victory over visiting Lynbrook. Tseng had 15 points and nine rebounds from her point-guard spot while Schulte added 12 points and nine boards.

The league season, however, toughens up considerably from here.

"The league is tougher this year," said Stock, pointing to Saratoga and Homestead as challenging her Vikings for the title. Los Gatos and Milpitas also should make a run at one of three automatic CCS berths from the division.

"The league games will be close and, in my mind, will be determined by defense," Stock said.

That would be good news for the Vikings, who have done a good job pressuring the opposition. In last Saturday's 57-41 thumping of host St. Francis, for example, Paly's defense forced numerous turnovers that led to 9-0 and 31-17 leads.

Pinewood

The Gators lost six seniors off last season's 25-5 squad that lost in the NorCal Division II championship game following a nightmarish 11-of-41 shooting from three-point range.

The biggest loss off that squad, of course, is Katy Digovich. The four-year veteran, and last year's MVP of the PSAL, is now in the Ivy League at Princeton after helping Pinewood compile an impressive four-year record of 109-13.

Junior guard Daniela Roark returns with the most game experience from a year ago while Liz Ashby (5-10) becomes a one-person senior class. The remaining five members of Scheppler's smallest team in nine years are sophomores and freshmen.

Perhaps not too surprising, the Panthers are off to a 5-5 start heading into Friday's PSAL opener.

Scheppler, however, believes his team already has exceeded expectations.

"We've played some highly competitive teams and been able to hold our own against them," Scheppler said. "In that respect, that we've been competitive, far exceeds any expectations I had for this team."

The Panthers lost by two points to St. Mary's of Berkeley, the No. 5-ranked team in Northern California, in the Mitty Holiday Classic and have fallen to Presentation twice. Scheppler said only a lack of shooting or execution prevented his team from winning those games.

The best thing, perhaps, is that 5-5 mark was achieved while the seven-person team battled various illnesses.

"We've had our sickness bug now," Scheppler said. "Greener pastures are ahead of us."

In addition to Roark and Ashby, Scheppler has rotated everyone through the starting lineup. The sophomores include 6-footer Alissa Flesher, 5-10 Ashley Nell, 5-10 Liz Altmaier, 5-6 Alyssa Lucero and 5-5 Hailey Nowlin. The lone freshman is 5-6 Samantha Field-Polisso.

Like his previous teams, Scheppler encourages his good shooters to shoot. Expect a lot of three-pointers once again this season.
SH Prep

If anything is lacking this season, it's consistency. The Gators are 6-6 overall following Wednesday's 44-37 loss to visiting St. Ignatius in a West Catholic Athletic League opener.

SHP's first-year coach Wendy Quattlebaum had good reason to expect better in the Gators' opener, especially since her team won four games to capture the Seaside Tournament last week.

SHP, however, showed its inconsistency by scoring just two points in the third quarter against St. Ignatius while making one of nine shots and committing five turnovers.

The Gators are still young, having lost only three players to graduation. The only current seniors are 5-9 starting Marissa Maffei and 5-10 reserve Mica Nereu.

Emma Hoffacker, the MVP of the Seaside Tournament, is a junior. Fellow starting guard Britney Blythe is just a freshman. Jessica Pecota, a 5-11 starting center, is a junior. Other contributors include junior guard Rosemary Prince, 5-10 junior forward Christina Dillingham and sophomore guard Isa Dillingham.

As in previous years, the Gators won't be scoring a lot of points but also will be relying on pressure defense to limit opponents. In the Seaside tourney, for example, SHP allowed an average of just 37 points over the four-game event while scoring 52 per game.

Quattlebaum wouldn't mind scoring 40 points a game, if her team's defense can stick to that 37 points an outing.

Woodside Priory

Three-year varsity starter Laura Trudelle, a 6-footer, is back after earning first-team honors in the WBAL last season. She's joined by second-teamer Laura Brent. Add to that group junior forward Lissy Powell and sophomore Ciarra Villaflor, one would think the Panthers are set for a decent season.,

First-year coach Rick Riebhoff, however, has just eight players and three of them are freshmen - including sisters Katie and Alexa Zappas. That inexperience has showed in the preseason while the Panthers went 3-2. Priory, however, did open the WBAL season with a victory this week, yet the 27-26 win over Harker wasn't a thing of beauty.

To be competitive against the likes of Castilleja and league co-favorite Notre Dame-San Jose, Priory will need to start scoring more points.

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