High School Girls Basketball is here and excitement is in the air for those die hard followers.
As a fan, I enjoy to watch good basketball being played especially at the High School level.
As I try and look at the girls basketball landscape in its entirety, there is not much you can say with clarity. It almost seems PARODY exists life and well in San Antonio High School GBB.
You can thank the Class of 2014 for that. Such a talented class of players. A lot of leadership left with them. Once they graduated, it left a huge void of uncertainty in many of the top teams.
But as the season progresses, players will find their identity and rise to the challenges and so will their teams.
Teams to watch for
1. Wagner- Coaching, Tradition, seemingly endless pipeline of athletes coming in to the school every year. Two of the best players in the City, State and Country, in Kiana Williams and Amber Ramirez, play in the same backcourt literally the whole year. They have chemistry and compliment each other well. This team will be playoff ready real quick and will be a tough out in the playoffs regardless of record in the regular season.
2. Brennan- What is amazing about this team and not to be taken lightly, is that they Graduated at least 6 players that are playing in College, moved up in classification, and still have the potential of going unbeaten in District play. Would you expect anything different, they have gone unbeaten in District play since forever. Start with Coaching, setting the culture and environment for success, raising the bar for everyone involved with the program. You have players and Parents buying in. As far as players, they have a huge inside presence with Mason and Terry. Strong guard play with Megan Valdez and Kenzie Heineman plus a lot more.
3. Reagan- A strong Class 2016 will be leading the team. A dominating presence inside with Sara Lewis and strong guard play led by Mailee Jones, Emily Sandoval and Anya Curtiss. We will know early on if they can keep up where they left off last year. They have a strong non-district schedule.
4. Brandeis- Seemingly a strong team from top to bottom led by sophomore Gabby Connally and a tough inside presence. Should be a solid team all around. Look for their bench to beat out opposing teams bench.
5. OConnor- This team can beat any team at any time with their starting 5. But how much depth are they going to have? They have athletic Shelby Miller in the inside complimented with tough savvy athletic guards in Amber Vidal, Victoria Pena and Kasey Saldana that can penetrate to the basket, hit from deep and play defense. They should start off strong out the gates.
6. Clark- This team has a lot of promise. The Roster is loaded with players that can bring a lot to the table that you might know like Ria Gulley, Kristen Kramer, Emily Sims and some you might not know like Shayla Pollard, April Matthews, Lunden Patterson, Arianna Craver to name some. Confidence is key when they play against stiff competition.
7. Steele- Very young athletic team. This team will get better and stronger as the season rolls. Inside presence is going to be fun to watch. The team will be led by Bri Millett who is poised for a great run in her senior year.
8. Clemens- I just have to say, Kyra Lambert. She is such a dynamic player. Everyone should go watch her play before she graduates. She can will the team to a great season.
9. Churchill- New Coaching. Look for Mikki Flores to continue where she left off last season. She does a lot for the team and brings intensity and fire to her game. Let's see how they get off the gates. Last year they had a great start.
I am being diplomatic here and heck would you blame me.
Tied for 10 and Honorable Mention
Johnson- New coach, new atmosphere. Look for Tara Molina to continue where she left off last season especially in scoring and leadership. Erica Saunders can play any position in HS, very versatile and athletic. Look out for new addition in the form of incoming freshman. Might possibly make the difference to get them over the hump.
Southwest- Looking to build from last season's run. Very scrappy team that plays the whole court and like to shoot the 3. If it is falling, then watch out.
Madison- Very savvy athletic point guard, Moriah Creswell will lead the team. Lexi Rich can dial it up from anywhere on the court. Very tough overall team.
Stevens- Last years District Champs lost a lot of key players to graduation. Who is filling in the voids? Still capable of making a run.
Smithson Valley- A lot of upside with new additions and the maturation of its young players will pose a strong challenge to teams. They have a nice inside presence with Liz Cathart and Erin Wimberley coming back strong. Guards Vanessa Oyola and Jenna Mehlbreck are capable of going off at any given moment. Love the tenacity of Erin Ashley plus a lot of incoming young talent.
Antonian- Coaching and some additions to their team that competed well last year. Look for Sandy Ramirez and Brittany Parker to do well and lead the team.
Incarnate Word- Coaching is always a strong point. With a year under her belt, Alexia Torres has the addition of incoming freshman Sophia Ramos to work with, a dynamic scoring guard, to form a very capable backcourt and fun duo to watch play. Torres will also have more weapons to work with including Jenna Villarreal, who can light it up. It might take a while for things to click but look for them to make a playoff run.
Judson- Lost a lot of key players to graduation. Still plenty of talent and athleticism in the team. Having Belle Tovar out hurts but she might be back just in time to save the day
MacArthur- This team just competes. I see them improving from last years competitive showing.
East Central- Love to see Brittany Rodgers play. She is fun to watch. Has some help in the post. Let's see if they can surprise anyone.
Jay- Can never count this team out for anything. Always great coaching.
It's going to be a long season, so I am sure everything will change in the first week of action. A good place to start, Monday Nov 10, 2014 at Littleton gym.
Brandeis vs Churchill
OConnor vs Johnson
Stevens vs Reagan
And not to be outdone Nov 11th at 730pm
Wagner at Brennan
How fun should that be?
Go out and support Girls Basketball!