Frisco Primed For Another State Bid

The race for the district championship will be more like a pack of alley cats trying to chase down a cheetah. Frisco is the cream of the 9-4A crop and proof that the rich get richer. The Lady Raccoons added depth in the frontcourt and graduated just one senior from last season's state semifinalist squad that was a basket away from potentially advancing to the title tilt to take on Fort Worth Dunbar and its fabulous forward, Brooklyn Pope. On paper, it will be an uphill battle at best for the seven other district teams to catch the Runnin' Raccoons, the state's best 4A team according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches preseason rankings. Such esteem certainly won't make opponents cower into a corner. On the way to last season's district championship, Frisco was picked off twice by The Colony, which will have to regroup following the graduation of four key contributors from the 2006-07 playoff team. Lake Dallas was the third postseason team a year ago, losing to Frisco in the regional quarterfinals. The Falcons are fueled by first team all-district selections Rachelle Franklin and Leah Russell, who will need to lead by example if a return trip to the playoffs is in the cards. Little Elm struggled to a woeful 2-12 district mark (7-23 overall) in its first year at the 4A level and will find it difficult to hit double digit victories this season. Junior Aspen Chandler is an athletic if undersized forward that will pave the way. With five sophomores and three juniors, the Lady Lobos' best days are in front of them, though closing the gap won't likely happen for another year. Frisco Centennial and McKinney North both registered .500 marks in district last season and have deep enough talent pools to swim their way to the top half of the standings. McKinney and McKinney Boyd will turn to younger players in their attempts to become relevant in 2008. Frisco Coach: Bob Rose Players to Watch: Shay Cooney-Williams, G, Jr. - Voted District 9-4A Most Valuable Player as a sophomore. Kierra Mallard, P, Sr. - A move-in who should add to an already talented team. Predicting where the Lady Raccoons will finish in district play is similar to shooting fish in a barrel: it doesn't take much guesswork and is so easy a caveman could do it. The roster is brimming with enough talent to get back to the state tournament in 2008. Indeed, the measuring stick for Frisco will have nothing to do with the regular season. If any team is built to make a prolonged playoff push, it is the Raccoons. Sharpshooter Tara McAtee is the sole loss, and while the team may miss her sugary stroke from outside, it is equivalent to removing a pail of sand from the beach. Just check out the numbers the Lady Raccoons have back, as registered by the six returners last season: 47.9 points per game, 28.6 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 10.2 steals and 6.1 blocks. Throw in four new additions, including 6'3" post Kierra Mallard, and it becomes crystal clear that Frisco is more than prepared to scratch winning a state title off its to-do list. "By far, this is the best team I've ever coached," head coach Bob Rose said. "Knowing we have the ability to get [to state], I would definitely be disappointed if we didn't." Scarier yet is that Frisco is built to make its deepest run next season. Just two players are seniors and neither was on the team last year. The starting lineup consists of three juniors and two sophomores, all of whom have valuable playoff experience on their résumé. "Having the experience of what it takes to get there is going to help them," Rose said. "It should take the pressure off. There isn't a fear of the unknown." The only potential hurdle for Frisco is overcoming the buildup. Expectations are at an all-time high on Parkwood Drive. How will the players handle the hype? "It's all about how you approach it," said Rose, who is 103-54 at Frisco. "The preseason rankings very seldom hold true. We take it as a nice compliment of respect but we know we have got to earn it." Frisco Centennial Coach: Wesley Charles Players to Watch: Jenika Sanchez, G, Jr. - One of 9-4A's best offensive players. Brooke Arthur, F, Jr. - Key to the Lady Titans' inside game. Talk to Centennial girls basketball coach Wesley Charles for even a moment and try not to detect the excitement in his voice. Coming off the best season in program history, Charles' optimism is well founded. Though eight seniors graduated from last year's team that went 16-14 overall and 7-7 in district, floor general Jenika Sanchez returns, which is quite a place to start. Just ask the scouts. Sanchez, the only sophomore to be named to last year's all-district first team, is a youthful leader on the short list of potential candidates for 9-4A MVP. "She is being recruited pretty heavily," Charles said. "She is a legitimate Division I point guard." Bolstering her game in the offseason with summer ball and AAU, Sanchez added a sweet stroke from the outside and a solid pull-up jumper to accompany her ability to slash to the bucket. With an endless arsenal of offensive moves, Sanchez will take the Lady Titans as far as they are going to go in 2007-08. "She needs to be huge for us," Charles said. "I've been pushing her to be a more verbal leader and she is doing a great job of that. I think she is going to have a really big season." Not that Sanchez will have to do it alone. Senior post Brooke Arthur and junior forward Carlee Johnson are expected to provide Centennial with a formidable inside game. In years past, the Lady Titans have had just two gears: fast and faster. Charles will still look to push the tempo in transition and get easy baskets, but much of his offseason focus has centered on building a half-court offense that won't bog down against a sturdy defense. Accompanying Sanchez in the backcourt will be "Batman and Robin," seniors Janelle Logrono and Felicia King. Both came off the bench last season to provide a change of pace and run opponents even harder. Junior Brittany Barton, a move-in, will see time at two-guard to provide outside shooting and toughness. If Charles can put all of the pieces together and get them to mesh, Centennial could be hanging around late in the season with an opportunity to get to the postseason for the first time. "We really think we have a shot at the playoffs," Charles said. "Last year, doing so well, having that success in a tough district and seeing our district teams do so well in the playoffs was a boost to our girls. The seniors want to go one step further this year." McKinney Coach: Debbie Harris Players to Watch: Brittany Hardy, P, Fr. - District's most highly touted freshman. McKinney may have one of the most unusual slogans of any team in the state this season. The Lady Lionettes elected to change their 2007-08 rallying cry to "Burn the Boat" after head coach Debbie Harris told them the story of how Hernan Cortes led the expedition to capture Mayan treasures some five centuries ago. "He told them, 'if we're going to leave, we're doing it on their boats,'" Harris said. "The only option was to win. His people bought into it, and we told that story in an effort to explain what the level of commitment is here." The motto is a direct reflection of the newfound commitment to year-round improvement. McKinney recorded a 5-52 record from 2004-2006, but after Harris' first full offseason after taking over the program in the summer of 2005, the team registered a 14-16 mark last season. Enjoying the fruits of their labor, the Lionettes worked even harder in the spring and summer. The reason for the offseason emphasis? McKinney graduated its nucleus in Becca Roeder, Leslie Humphries, Corrine Beasley and Tacora Simmons, and is left with just four players that logged significant minutes last season. Of course, it never hurts when a fabulous freshman like Brittany Hardy arrives on campus. The highly-touted six footer traveled the country with her select team in the summer and averaged more than 20 points as an eighth-grader at Johnson Middle School last year. "She will be one of the best players to ever come through this high school," Harris said. "I'm excited for the kids that are with her. She's the type of the player we needed for everyone to elevate their game." Hardy's versatility will allow Harris to put her anywhere on the court for a team that hopes to create matchup problems at several positions in its bid to get back to the postseason. McKinney Boyd Coach: Dawn Mailloux-Smith Players to Watch: Emily Holmes, F, Sr. - Team's only senior and inside threat McKinney Boyd returns every player from last year's team that finished seventh in district. That can be looked at one of two ways, though head coach Dawn Mailloux-Smith believes her Lady Broncos will be better for having endured the 9-4A wars as a first-year program. Senior forward Emily Hughes, who will get the chance to compete alongside freshman sister Kathryn, is an undersized post that plays well above her 5'10" stature. Hughes is the only senior on a team crafted for the 5A future. Freshmen Kiana Evans and Jasmine Polk have been added to the roster along with transfer Ashley Olvera, who came from John Paul II. Olvera joins a deep junior class and can immediately contribute with her firm fundamentals and overall basketball savvy. Depth isn't an issue for the Lady Broncos, but quality experience is. Boyd hung around against the top teams last season before buckling down the stretch. Guard Brooke Anderson is a deadeye distance specialist and Paige Parrish is a versatile forward that can face up or play with her back to the basket. If Boyd is to get to the playoffs for the first time, contributions will have to be turned in by the entire cast. McKinney North Coach: Valerie Little Players to Watch: Amanda Mason, F, Soph. - Transfer expected to make immediate impact McKinney North is ready to shed its spectator status. Having never qualified for the postseason, the Lady Bulldogs are ready to see the drought come to an end in 2008. North graduated many of its key contributors from last season's 12-win team, including Ms. McKinney Basketball Camille Smith, but an abundance of able-bodied athletes remain. Guards Tashee Abrams, Avril Matthews and Ellen Possehl, and posts Kathy Shelton and Sara Herbel, are among the top returners. That core began meshing with second-year head coach Valerie Little last season and believes the more intimate knowledge of her style will bode well where on-court chemistry is concerned. As for bonding away from the hardwood, that is still a work in progress. "We have to be a team off the court," Herbel said. "Off the court we all do different things, but when we get on the court we have to be a team. That's something that's hard to do. But we're all friends already, so we're further along than we were last year." Little will have to find the right mix and manage minutes if North is to end its seven-year habit of watching the playoffs from the couch. Sophomore transfer Amanda Mason is one of several newcomers expected to make an immediate impact on a 14-player roster. Mason brings practical experience to a team that could use some help in that department, having helped her Nicolet High, Wisc. squad reach the second round of the playoffs as a freshman. "The first thing [Mason] told me when she got here was she wants to play Division I college ball," Little said. "She works hard enough to do it." North has altered its approach this season to take advantage of its size. Along with Mason and top returning rebounders, Herbel and Shelton, the Lady Bulldogs have five players that stand at least 5'9", allowing them to create matchup problems on the interior. If North can figure out how best to use its height in conjunction with the speed of its guards, the playoffs may no longer be a pipe dream. "That's definitely our main focus this year, get to the playoffs," Herbel said. "We haven't gotten there yet. We know that we have to become a team to do it, and I think we can."