GIRLS’ BASKETBALL: TEAMS TO WATCH

Alemany

‘92-93 RECORD:

OVERALL: 25-6

LEAGUE: 10-2

COACH: Melissa Hearlihy

YEAR: 9th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Samantha Rigley Jr. F 5-10 Zevette Mitchell Sr. F 6-0 Kelly McKay Jr. G 5-8 Carly Funicello So. C 6-3 Lori Shigematsu Sr. G 5-2 Kathy Brown Sr. G 5-4

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TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Jennifer Stoughton So. G 5-3

OUTLOOK

Talent, talent and more talent. A team that went to the Southern Section III-AA championship game has its top four players back. Mitchell, Rigley, Funicello and McKay are all NCAA Division I prospects. “I feel very lucky,” Hearlihy said. Those four will start, along with point guard Shigematsu. The multitalented Rigley was an all-state sophomore team selection last season. The offense revolves around the forward who averaged 14 points, 3.5 assists and six rebounds a game last season. Funicello is a prodigious talent who seriously took up the sport only last season and is rapidly improving. Mitchell is extremely active around the basket and is being recruited by Cal State Long Beach. McKay, who missed most of last season with a broken bone in her foot, is a smooth scorer at shooting guard.

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Ventura ‘92-93 RECORD:

OVERALL: 23-6

LEAGUE: 12-2

COACH: Glenn Gray

YEAR: 6th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Ember Brown Jr. G 5-8 Jesaca Lepper Sr. C 6-1 Nora Marquez Sr. G 5-0 Leighann Nisky Jr. F 5-10

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TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Kristin Franklin Fr. G 5-7 Jody Parker Sr. F 5-9 Jeanne Chenoweth Jr. F 5-9 Julia Margenat Jr. G/F 5-9

OUTLOOK

The Cougars reached the Division II-A championship game last season thanks mainly to the scoring ability of Brown, who averaged 25.7 points during the playoffs. She was an all-state sophomore team selection last season, and Gray will build his team around Brown. “She’s one of the better shooters I’ve ever had,” Gray said. “She has the potential to play in college. Being a junior, I’d say now’s the time you have to have a good year and show the scouts what you can do.” Lepper and Marquez will both start, and Franklin is a promising freshman. Ventura lost starter Jennifer Dietz, who moved out of the area.

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Newbury Park ‘92-93 RECORD:

OVERALL: 21-7

LEAGUE: 11-3

COACH: Nori Parvin

YEAR: 20th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Julie Wastell Jr. G 5-7 Kara McKeown Jr. C 6-0 Jann Thorpe Jr. F 5-10 Christine Arguijo Jr. F 5-10 Dawn Irwin Sr. G 5-6 Caroline Stender Sr. F 5-8

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TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Amy Berman So. G 5-6 Melissa Showden So. F 5-10 Julie Hansen Jr. F 5-9

OUTLOOK

McKeown and Wastell were the team’s best players last season as sophomores. McKeown averaged 10.4 points and 11.3 rebounds a game last season and Wastell, a Times’ All-Ventura County selection, averaged a team-high 11.5 points. The Panthers have the talent to improve on last season’s II-A quarterfinal finish, though they will play in III-AA this season. Thorpe, Arguijo and Berman are the other starters. Berman, who played on the junior varsity last season, joins Wastell as a three-point shooting threat. Showden and Hansen should see significant action as reserves.

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North Hollywood

‘92-93 RECORD:

OVERALL: 21-7

LEAGUE: 10-1

COACH: Rich Allen

YEAR: 11th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Darvena Merritt Sr. F 5-9 Anna Celaya Jr. G 5-5 Giovanna Alaimo Sr. G 5-8 Bobbie Celaya Jr. G 5-6

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TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Karla Martinez So. G 5-6 Samantha Fargeon So. C 6-0 Mary Giles Jr. F 5-10

OUTLOOK

The Huskies have three starters back from the team that advanced to the City Section 4-A championships game last season. Merritt (15.3 points a game) and Anna Celaya (14.7) were co-most valuable players of the Mid-Valley League. Merritt’s strengths are her leaping ability and active play around the basket. “We’re so tiny she’s going to have to get every rebound for us,” Allen said. Alaimo, Fargeon and Giles will also start. Team captain Alaimo played with a broken thumb in the final two playoff games last season. Giles played on the junior varsity last season and Fargeon should give North Hollywood an inside presence.

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Nordhoff ‘92-93 RECORD:

OVERALL: 23-2

LEAGUE: 8-0

COACH: Jack Smith

YEAR: 5th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Rachel McSorley Sr. C 6-3 Gretchen Wachter Sr. G 5-5 Carlie Creager Sr. G/F 5-7 Maria Garcia Sr. F 5-9 Melissa Roudabush Sr. C 6-2 Jennifer Milano Sr. F 5-9 Rebecca Leonard Sr. F 5-6 Rayven McCloskey So. F 5-9

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TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Sarah Becker So. G 5-3

OUTLOOK

In addition to being 6-3 and an excellent outside shooter, McSorley is student body president. She also was the Frontier League player of the year and a Times’ All-Ventura County selection last season, when she set school records for points in a game (36) and season (493). Smith, The Times’ Ventura County coach of the year last season, led the Rangers to their best finish in school history and the IV-AA semifinals. Wachter (8.5 points per game) was a Times’ all-county second team pick. Becker, who sparked the junior varsity to a 20-1 record last season, is the point guard. Garcia, Roudabush and Milano will share the post position.

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Buena

‘92-93 RECORD:

OVERALL: 25-4

LEAGUE: 14-0

COACH: Joe Vaughan

YEAR: 19th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Mikko Giordano Sr. F 6-0 Eboni Conley So. G 5-8 Kori Sebek So. G 5-6 Laura Dahl Sr. F 5-10 Kara Newman Jr. G/F 5-10

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TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Nicole Greathouse Fr. C/F 6-1 Stephanie Kinnear Fr. G 5-8

OUTLOOK

Giordano is one of the top players in the state, and has already signed to play for Arizona. She averaged 17.5 points and 8.6 rebounds last season, and her two free throws with no time left defeated Thousand Oaks for the Division I-A championship last season. Though Buena lost three starters from last season, Vaughan feels this year’s squad could be just as good or better. “We’ve quicker and betters shooters, and we’re already a real tight-knit group, which is important in team sports.” Sebek and Conley will likely start in the backcourt.

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Channel Islands ‘92-93 RECORD:

OVERALL: 16-6

LEAGUE: 11-3

COACH: Don Salado

YEAR: 1st

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Shawanda Hotchkiss Sr. F 5-7 Dolores Tuimoloau Sr. C 6-1 Denise Montijo Sr. C 6-0 Mikkie Liufau Sr. G 5-4 Alison Jones Sr. F 5-9 Menna Gore Sr. G 5-8 Becca Liufau Jr. G 5-8

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TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Judy Tuimoloau Fr. G 5-8

OUTLOOK

Salado, who took over as coach from Ryle Lynch-Cole, knows his biggest worry isn’t talent. It’s discipline. In the Buena tournament last season, the talented Hotchkiss received her runner-up plaque and threw it across the gym. Buena Coach Vaughan did not invite the Raiders back to the tournament. “(Hotchkiss) can get very aggressive sometimes,” Salado said. “That’s why we’re not in the Buena tournament. (Vaughan) said, ‘I don’t need that,’ and I don’t blame him.” Four starters--Hotchkiss, Dolores Tuimoloau, Mikkie Liufau and Jones--return from a team that advanced to the Division I-AA quarterfinals.

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Bell-Jeff ‘92-93 RECORD:

OVERALL: 28-4

LEAGUE: 14-0

COACH: Jim Couch

YEAR: 12th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Cathy Flores Sr. G/F 5-10 Christina Ticsay Sr. G 5-7 Carrie Breedlove Sr. C 6-1 Maia Casagrande Sr. G/F 5-10

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TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Cheranny Lindsay Fr. G 5-10 Felicia Flores Fr. G 5-7

OUTLOOK

Four starters return from last season’s Southern Section Division IV-A finalist, missing only point guard Lori Talley, a Times’ All-Valley selection who plays for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Flores earned all-section honors last season and averaged 18 points and a team-high 13 rebounds a game. Ticsay scored 15 points a game and Breedlove averaged six points and 11 rebounds. Couch said Lindsay can develop along the lines of Talley.