BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer
With a nonconference schedule that rivals the toughest in the state, this year’s Monmouth Regional girls basketball team will look to duplicate last season’s success.
The Golden Falcons, who peaked late last year en route to reaching the Group III championship game (where they lost to the eventual Tournament of Champions winner Malcolm X Shabazz, 60-50), are hoping that being a battle-tested team come playoff time will pay dividends again this winter.
“We’ve got a long way to go before we can think about that, but we’ll be all right,” said head coach Audra Corson.
Corson’s confidence is understandable, considering her squad returns three key players from last year’s sectional championship team, in senior guard Brittany Powell, senior forward Caitlin Shaw and junior guard Tia Curtis, and five varsity letter-winners overall.
The Golden Falcons will certainly miss Kristen Dalton, who graduated after a brilliant career, as well as Amy Willman, another quality player who helped build the program to the high level it currently enjoys.
“Anytime you lose a four-year player like Kristen, it’s a tough thing to replace,” Corson said.
“But all three of our upperclassmen, our three senior co-captains, are ready to step up. They really help out with the younger players.”
Joining the three seniors in the starting lineup are sophomores Christina Fernandes at point guard and Jessica Ford at the forward position.
Among the other players Corson is counting on this season are seniors Samantha Rooney, Jasmine Mencia and Elena Faagai, as well as promising sophomore Jennifer Hughes and junior Christian Levo. Looking at the Golden Falcons’ schedule, there doesn’t appear to be too many easy nights ahead for Corson’s team. Monmouth plays in one of the Shore Conference’s toughest divisions (B North), and will obviously be in the mix to contend for that title.
“In our division, it’s really wide open,” the coach said. “Whoever plays consistently well is going to emerge, but I don’t think that anyone is going to go undefeated in the division this year.
“Neptune has everyone back, and Freehold Borough didn’t lose anybody either,” she added. “Freehold has the Mayrose girls [Alyssa and Shannon] and some good young players, as well as a transfer from Neptune, so they should be especially tough. And Wall Township is really coming on strong too.
“Any of those teams could be the team to beat on any given night.”
Beyond their division schedule, the Golden Falcons will also play a brutal out-conference slate, starting with a Jan. 6 match-up with a very good Southern Regional team. Also on the schedule are games with Bloomfield Tech (Jan. 10), St. John Vianney (Jan. 27), Red Bank Catholic (Feb. 6) and New York power St. John Villa.
“We didn’t shy away from anyone this year,” Corson said. “This will be the toughest year of competition that we’ve ever had. It will certainly put a lot more pressure on the girls to perform well on a consistent basis.”
But the rewards for such a tough schedule could come in the postseason, like it did last year.
“That’s why you do it,” Corson said. “Who cares what your record looks like in the regular season? You do it to get ready for the state tournament and the Shore Conference Tournament.”
With the season set to open tomorrow in Matawan for Monmouth, Corson is confident her team is ready to go.
“We need to work on our communication skills a little bit, but we have a chance to do something special if we can pull it all together,” she said.

