By: Neil Hay
With the 2003-04 season set to tip off tonight, here is one to ponder . . .
Will this year’s Peddie girls’ basketball team make it eight straight state Prep A championships? Or will the Falcons, hit hard by graduation, go the way of the girls soccer team, which saw its run of state titles halted this fall?
Graduation did take its toll, with the Falcons losing the likes of Christina Campion, Whitney Douthett, and others from last year’s 22-2 squad. But Coach Sean Casey has some talented veterans back, and several promising newcomers, to put the pieces back together and make a run at states and another Mid-Atlantic Prep League title too. The schedule, again, is imposing. But if Casey’s plan for this team plays out as he hopes, Peddie will again be the team to beat come tournament time.
The players back are sophomore guard Allie Saltstein, senior forward Erin Mullen, sophomore guard/forward Bridgette Mitchell, and junior center Crystal Goring. Last season Mitchell and Goring especially were integral contributors to Peddie’s success. This year they will be expected to occupy the spotlight as "premier players," as Casey put it.
"They will have to step into a new role as the center of attention," said Casey of the 6-3 Goring and 6-0 Mitchell.
A promising cast of new players has been assembled by Casey to keep Peddie on top. Whether the Falcons remain the state’s top prep program will depend upon how quickly and thoroughly the new players and the returnees mesh into a cohesive unit. Joining the varsity are sophomore guard Devon Carey, junior guard Lindsay Woods, senior guard Kerri Walker (who returns to the program after a one-year absence), and three promising freshmen: guard Lauren Lebak, forward Katie Lindberg, and guard/forward Connor Ahlborn.
Looking at a roster that includes three freshmen and three sophomores, Casey said, "We are going to be young this year. We will have to improve quickly. A lot of teams will be coming after us. The schedule is again tough, but we have a chance to be a good team again."
Peddie will face Mount deChantal of Wheeling, West Virginia tonight in the Archbishop Carroll Tournament in Philadelphia. Rounding out the four-team tourney, which concludes tomorrow, are Archbishop Carroll and Central High School, also of Philadelphia.
Unlike in past years, when the team traveled to play in Phoenix in the Nike Tournament, the Falcons are staying local. That does not mean the schedule is any easier. In addition to the usual lineup of area prep opponents, the Falcons will play the Patterson School (North Carolina) in New York City, Philadelphia’s Cardinal O’Hara, Willingboro High (at the Sovereign Bank Arena), Marlboro, Shabazz, and Notre Dame.
"We will have to show up and play well," said Casey, knowing that every opponent lined up this year already has its sights on knocking off the prestigious Falcons.
This is a chance for this group of players to step out of the shadows and establish their own identity. Said Casey, now in his 11nth year as head coach, "It will take a while. We have a couple of stars and, as we develop around them, we have a chance to be a pretty good team. Our goal is to be good in February.
"We will have to work very hard, especially in December," continued Casey. "We face a lot of talented teams. We’ll get seasoning on the job. Our skills are okay. It all starts with defense. Defense, rebounding, and taking care of the basketball. This group will write its own story."
