Area hoops teams were hard at work this summer

By MATTHEW ROCCO Correspondent

Shore Conference girls basketball programs have been hard at work this summer. St. John Vianney High School and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School — two of the usual preseason favorites — are no exception.

Both schools participated in the seventh annual Maroon and White Team Camp at the end of July. The event, organized by Red Bank Regional High School, is open to college coaches and recruiters.

The Lancers also traveled to Maryland for another summer tournament, adding to a packed schedule that gives St. John Vianney’s newcomers a chance to get acclimated.

“The majority of our players are returning. So for them, they have experience playing together. But we also have a nice group of freshmen. I’m excited about that,” Lancers head coach Dawn Karpell said.

Once the new season rolls around, St. John Vianney will field nearly the exact same roster as last year. The Lancers are bringing back critical pieces from their NJSIAA Non-Public A championship team, which fell just a game shy of the Tournament of Champions finals.

That group includes rising junior Kimi Evans, a center, and senior point guard Kelly Campbell, who has started every year. Campbell committed to DePaul University prior to last season. Gigi Caponegro, Zoe Pero, Kellie Crouch, Tina Lebron, Vanessa Pinho and Courtney Dobrzynski will be back as well.

Meanwhile, senior guard Emily Uribe will make her return to the Lancers this winter. She missed her junior season with a knee injury.

Even without Uribe, Campbell, Evans and Caponegro on the court, the Lancers made it into the top eight at the Maryland tournament, Karpell said. Karpell added that between the two summer events, her players capitalized on the chance to continue their development. She expects all of their hard work to pay off.

“Our biggest asset going into next season is our experience,” she said. “We have a lot of returning players who will be big contributors.”

Over in Rumson, the Bulldogs are looking forward to an exciting season, head coach George Sourlis said.

Rumson-Fair Haven was one of the deepest teams in the Shore Conference last year, and not much will change this time around.

The Bulldogs will again have plenty of experience, as seniors Nicole Morris and Stephanie Lesko return after starting last season. Fellow seniors Sydney Sabino and Lindsey Morris, in addition to juniors Hannah Scanlan, Katie Foos and Megan Volker, will give Rumson-Fair Haven many different weapons on the court. There are also two sophomores entering the backcourt: Christina Antonakakis, a transfer student from Holmdel High School, and Tori Hyduke.

The offense is shaping up well, according to Sourlis.

“We certainly will be able to handle the ball. I think we will be a difficult team for other teams to press,” he said.

Rumson-Fair Haven’s veterans and newcomers have shown good chemistry early, which gives the Bulldogs a head start when they get into the preseason — their “spring training,” Sourlis calls it.

Sourlis does want the team to become more physical — a mentality that he believes will develop over time once the Bulldogs get more time on the court.

“We will need that to compete against the elite,” Sourlis said. “As they get more comfortable with themselves, they will play with a little more grit, and that’s what we will need.”