Publication Date: Friday, January 06, 2006
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Time to see what develops
Time to see what develops
(January 06, 2006) Pinewood has some work to do; M-A, Paly already are ahead of schedule
by Keith Peters
Pinewood girls' basketball coach Doc Scheppler is like an old-time photographer in a dark room: he's waiting to see what develops.
Scheppler is waiting to see if his new five-game schedule in the Private Schools Athletic League and expanded (and tougher) nonleague slate will work for or against his team.
Scheppler is also waiting to see if his normally sharp-shooting players can overcome their horrible slumps and cut down their turnovers to a manageable number.
And Scheppler is waiting to see if junior guard Tika Koshiyama-Diaz can recover enough from her offseason ACL surgery to help the Panthers in their quest for a second straight Division V state title.
While is sounds like Pinewood is in very deep trouble this season, it's not quite that bad. The Panthers took a 9-3 record into last night's nonleague game at Burlingame and are every bit as formidable as in previous seasons.
"We've committed 238 turnovers in 12 games," Scheppler pointed out. "We're shooting 37 percent from the field overall and just 28 percent from three-point range. And, we're still winning games against some pretty good teams."
But, Scheppler, reminded: "We're not winning the way we'd all like to win games. I'm a perfectionist. I'm just used to the standards we've set in the past."
Success for Pinewood this season has come by way of defense, always a strong point for the Panthers but clearly a key factor now. In previous seasons, Pinewood would simply outscore the opposition with a barrage of three-pointers, but its best shooters - junior Sami Field-Polisso and senior Liz Altmaier - are only making 28 percent from the field.
Part of that problem, Scheppler believes, is that most of his players are playing out of position this season due to absence of Koshiyama-Diaz, who was supposed to replace the graduated Daniela Roark at point guard this season.
With Koshiyama-Diaz sidelined until at least February, everyone else is taking on different roles. Field-Polisso, for example, has moved from shooting guard to running the team at point. That switch has created others and Scheppler says his team just needs to get comfortable with the changes.
Speaking of change, gone is the 10-game PSAL schedule that allowed the Panthers a chance to relax and get into a comfortable rhythm. Now, there are more games where the players need to be at their very best.
"We need to perform better in situations where you need to play your best," said Scheppler, alluding to his team's ugly 63-38 loss to Mitty last week in the finals of the Mitty New Year's Classic.
"We do a lot of things well, but we only do it 65 perecent of the time," Scheppler said. "When we're playing well, we will do it 85-90 percent of the time."
The Panthers will have to play at a higher level more often with the addition of games against Marin Catholic (Jan. 16), Westmoor (Jan. 28), La Jolla Country Day (Feb. 4) and Branson (Feb. 11).
If Koshiyama-Diaz is able to return to the team in early February, she'll join a rotation that includes Altmaier, a 5-10 senior; Field-Polisso, a 5-6 junior; Aly Geppert, a 6-2 sophomore; Grace Beck, a 5-6 sophomore; and Lippe, a 5-9 senior. Altmaier, Field-Polisso, Geppert and Lippe all started in last season's Division V state championship victory to cap a 26-5 season. Lindsay Nickel, a 5-10 freshman, is a top reserve.
Castilleja
The Gators (5-5) enter West Bay Athletic League play shooting only 28.9 percent from the floor while averaging 38.3 points a game. Freshman Ericka von Kaeppler (5-10) is averaging 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds a game to lead the team. She missed last week's win over Monte Vista Christian and will miss the next two games due to a family trip to France.
When she returns, the lineup will include 5-8 sophomore Lindsay Taylor, who is averaging 10 points and 4.9 assists; Alex Chang-Graham, a 5-10 senior, who tops the team with 8.2 rebounds per game; 5-6 sophomore Marion Cohn, a top defender; plus 5-11 junior Brett Powers and 5-10 senior Anne Vander Ploeg.
Junior Liz Johnson and sophomore Jane Alexander contribute off the bench.
Head coach Jez McIntosh lost his top two players - Mika Peterman and Nikki Perlman - to graduation and begins a new era with a freshman (von Kaeppler) and a sophomore (Taylor) trying to fill their shoes.
"We are young," McIntosh said. "We are just starting to learn to play together and how to win at the varsity level. I was very pleased with our preseason. We could very easily be 7-3 or 8-2. I'm looking forward to league and getting ready for CCS."
Eastside Prep
The Panthers (2-10) lost their top two scorers (Brijitti Crum and Sharissa McDaniel) to graduation and their No. 3 scorer, Torey Walker, transferred to Valley Christian. Those three helped coach Gretchen Seeley's team go 23-7 last season and reach the CCS semifinals.
Returning to lead Eastside Prep is 6-0 sophomore center Samantha Bunch, 5-9 junior Zaquis Coleman, 5-4 junior Geniesha Robinson, 5-6 sophomore Kendra Thomas, 5-4 senior Ausharae Harvey, 5-9 junior Evelyn Fusimolohi and 5-7 junior Porchea Fort.
Newcomers include 5-9 freshman Shayla Bunch and 5-4 freshman Alexis Jenkins.
The Panthers put up a good fight Wednesday during a 64-61 nonleague loss to Menlo-Atherton. Robinson scored 16 points and Thomas added 14, while Samantha Bunch contributed 10.
Gunn
The Titans went 6-14 overall last season, but are headed for a big improvement with their 6-6 start.
"We have a pretty solid team this year," said Gunn coach Sebastian Poitier, whose squad opened SCVAL De Anza Division action Tuesday with a 45-39 loss at Wilcox. "We're finally starting to communicate on the floor. The kids are talking to each other and helping each other."
Senior Leanne Perricone scored 16 points in the setback. She's joined in the starting lineup by senior Patty Fung, senior Audrey Periera, freshman Sophie Shevick and freshman Tamar Cartun.
Cartun is one of three sisters on the team. Her twin is Rimona. Senior Ilana joins with Rimona in coming off the bench. Other contributors include sophomore Neva Hauser, Jennica Law and freshman Jasmine Evans, who has been injured but is headed back to the starting lineup, as early as tonight's league home opener against Milpitas.
Poitier likes his team's work ethic and believes there's no real favorite in the league this season.
"I think it's going to be pretty even," he said.
Menlo-Atherton
The Bears (12-2) already have surpassed last season's win total and appear headed back to the CCS playoffs after missing out last year with an 11-14 mark.
Veteran coach Pam Wimberly has plenty to chose from and has been playing a lot of different people this season.
"We have interchangeable parts," she said.
The Bears have a solid backcourt with senior Karley Marty plus juniors Brittany Wilson and Christina Dixon. At the post are two 6-foot seniors in starter Ann Sbardellati and backup Marike Wolters. There's also 5-10 freshman Linda Pita.
Senior Lori Maumasi (5-7) and junior Sigourney Jellins (5-10) have been solid at the forward position. Sophomores Arielle McKee (5-10) and Erica Hayes (5-6) have added depth off the bench.
A good example of the Bears' depth came in the consolation final of the Newark Memorial Tournament where M-A toppled Livermore, 70-46. Ten players scored for the Bears with Wilson, Sbardellati and Pita all hitting double figures.
Another reason to be very optimistic about the season is the realignment of the PAL. Gone from the PAL South are San Mateo, Aragon and Burlingame (currently 15-1). New members include Half Moon Bay and Menlo. The Bears open league play Jan. 11 at Half Moon Bay.
M-A is coming off a 64-61 nonleague win over host Eastside Prep on Wednesday. Wilson, a 4-11 sparkplug, had 16 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists. Wolters added 14 points while Hayes and Sbardellati split 20.
Menlo School
The Knights have a new coach in Brooke McKinney, who guided the school's JV team last season, and only one returning starter in 5-11 Alex Shepard. Despite that, Menlo has zoomed to a 10-3 record in preseason.
That comes as good news, since the Knights have moved from the PAL North to the PAL South Division and have a decent shot at the postseason against the likes of Menlo-Atherton, defending champ Carlmont and Woodside.
Joining Shepard is Lauren Kaewert, Allie Zamaria, Laura Olson and Shepard's sister, Jackie. Others making contributions thus far include 5-11 freshman Chelsea Sullivan, Lesley Stauffer-Green, Brittany Schoof, Lorena Patino, Allegra Aron, Sofia Virano and Katie Anderson.
"We're pretty young and inexperienced, but they're improving every day," McKinney said earlier this season.
Menlo, which has won six of its past seven games, opens PAL play Jan. 11 at Sequoia.
Palo Alto
The Vikings (12-3) have a new coach in Scott Peters, who inherited a veteran team featuring eight seniors. Peters, a late hire, missed out on spring and summer ball and came in with little or no knowledge of his team.
It wasn't surprising, then, that Paly got off to a 4-3 start that included an upset loss to Fremont in the Oak Grove tournament. It was that setback that got things turned around.
"We were outplayed in that loss," Peters said. "That kind of woke us up. It gave us a sense of urgency."
The Vikings have played very well since that loss, ripping off eight straight victories. The final two came against solid teams in the West Coast Jamboree, where Paly won the Topaz Division. Melody Gaal was named MVP in the division while fellow senior guard Ranecia Fields joined her on the all-tournament team within the division.
Peters has asked his players to learn some new things, which took some time in the early going. While the offense clicked quickly, "The defense has taken longer," Peters said. "That has been the challenge."
The Vikings evidently are up to that challenge, however, as they have allowed only 41.5 points a game during the eight-game winning streak.
"The defense is a factor we can control with our effort," Peters said.
Along with the 5-8 Gaal and 5-6 Fields, the other starters include 5-8 senior Megan Grant, 5-7 senior Bre Clay and 5-10 freshman Rachael Pecota, who has been the team's leading rebounder and among the top scorers. The rest of the rotation includes 5-10 senior Lola Wusu, 5-11 junior Katie Barich, 5-7 freshman Kiely McDermott and 5-10 sophomore Nicole Behr.
Paly went 18-10 last year, but missed Clay for 13 games after she suffered an ACL injury in a league-opening loss to Los Gatos. Clay isn't 100 percent, but her veteran experience should help the Vikings return to the postseason and advance further than the first round of CCS.
Sacred Heart Prep
The Gators went 19-13 last season and lost in the CCS Division V finals to eventual state champion Pinewood. Charlene Murphy has taken over as head coach and has former SHP star Jenny Circle as her assistant.
Youth evidently is everywhere. The Gators have just two seniors and only one of them, Elizabeth Dillingham, is a returning starter. In addition to the youth, only nine names grace the roster since Murphy has decided to keep a strong group of freshman together on the JV team.
That leaves Dillingham, talented sophomore point guard Hannah Stephens, 5-9 junior forward Kim Culpan, 5-8 junior Jenesa Jones, 5-10 junior Adriana Vogt and 5-4 junior Lauren Boyle to lead the way.
There's also 5-7 junior Michelle Martin, 5-9 junior Laura Kruberg and 5-10 senior Tiffany Yim to provide added support.
The Gators (0-1, 4-5) opened West Catholic Athletic League play Wednesday with a 56-30 loss to visiting St. Ignatius. If SHP can play .500 ball in the always-tough WCAL this season, Murphy can consider the year a success.
Woodside Priory
The Panthers have a new coach in Ryan Dobrenz, who opened his WBAL career on Tuesday with a 37-22 loss to host Harker. Priory is 3-4 overall and is hoping to surpass last season's 7-11 record (2-10 in the WBAL).
Dobrenz is missing three players who graduated, but all were starters. The returnees include sophomore Alyssa Cheung, junior Chrissa Trudelle, juniors Katie and Alexa Zappas, junior Laura Hohnsbeen, and senior Jocelyn Chambers.
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