HIGH SCHOOL GIRL’S BASKETBALL ‘94-’95

Alemany

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 30-1 12-0 1st

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Melissa Hearlihy 10th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Samantha Rigley F 5-11 Sr. Kelly McKay G/F 5-9 Sr. Carly Funicello C 6-4 Jr. Jennifer Stoughton G 5-4 Jr. Kathy Reith F 5-9 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Dana Rios G 5-6 So. Kelli Kobayashi G 5-2 Fr. Jessica Bell F 5-9 Jr.

OUTLOOK

The Indians begin the season rated second in the state by Cal-Hi Sports. Rigley, McKay, Funicello and Stoughton were starters on last season’s team that won the Southern Section Division II-A championship and advanced to the state semifinals. How can Alemany top a season like that? “We’re gonna run, we’re gonna run and we’re gonna run,” Hearlihy said. “I just want to up-tempo our game to have more fun. The girls’ game needs to do something to draw a crowd, and we can’t slam dunk.” Rigley, the Valley player of the year last season, has signed with Pepperdine.

Buena

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 25-3 13-1 1st

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Joe Vaughan 20th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Eboni Conley G 5-8 Jr. Kori Sebek G 5-6 Jr. Kara Newman G/F 5-10 Sr. Nicole Greathouse C/F 6-1 So.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Ashley Jackson F 5-9 So. Christie Erickson G/F 5-8 Jr.

OUTLOOK

The Bulldogs appear ready to defend their Southern Section Division I-A championship. Ranked fifth in the state, Buena dominated during the off-season, marching undefeated through three summer leagues. “I think we are capable of being one of the best teams in the (Southern Section),” Vaughan said. “We expect a lot out of ourselves.” Vaughan’s teams have won four section titles and advanced to a section final 10 times, including the last five.

Hart

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 17-7 8-0 1st

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Dave Munroe 6th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR La Cresha Clarke 5-4 G Sr. Jamie Broneer 5-10 G/F Sr. Jaclyn Kuptz 5-10 F/C Jr. Stephanie Ellis 5-11 F Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Wendy Downen 5-10 F Jr Mary Cunnan 5-10 F Jr. Jelene Daney 5-7 G So.

OUTLOOK

Hart will attempt to win its third consecutive Foothill League title behind point guard Clarke, the league’s most valuable player last season. “When you have a good point guard, she can make you look very good,” Munroe said. “She can single-handedly break the press.” Once she does, she will look to Broneer and Kuptz to provide scoring. Clarke should contribute in all areas. As a junior, she averaged nine points, led the team in assists and was second in rebounding.

Newbury Park

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 21-6 12-2 2nd

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Nori Parvin 21st

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Julie Wastell G 5-7 Sr. Kara McKeown C/F 6-1 Sr. Jann Thorpe F 5-11 Sr. Christine Arguijo F 5-11 Sr. Amy Berman G 5-11 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Renee Intlekofer G 5-8 Sr.

OUTLOOK

Parvin has been at Newbury Park for more than two decades, so it means something when she says, “Talent-wise, this is the best we’ve ever been.” Wastell, McKeown, Thorpe and Arguijo have played on the varsity for three seasons. Add to that nucleus an impact player such as Intlekofer, a transfer from Oregon, and the Panthers appear poised to make a run at the Marmonte League title. Newbury Park begins the season ranked second in the state in Division III.

North Hollywood

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 15-7 11-0 1st

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Rich Allen 12th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Anna Celaya G 5-4 Sr. Bobbi Celaya G 5-4 Sr. Mary Giles C 5-9 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Stephanie Wasserman G 5-4 So.

OUTLOOK

The Huskies again may be the class of area City Section teams. They have advanced to the City championship game three times in Allen’s 11 seasons and won eight of the last nine Mid-Valley League titles. Two-time All-City point guard Anna Celaya should break the school’s career scoring record this season. Celaya, her twin sister, Bobbi, and Anaheim Canyon transfer Wasserman have led Allen to switch to a three-guard offense.

Notre Dame

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 13-11 6-6 4th

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Rob DiMuro 3rd

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Maggie Dixon G 6-1 Sr. Carla Arrue G 5-7 Sr. Lourdes Slinsky F 5-11 Jr. Stacey Phillips F 6-0 Jr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Brittany Grimes C 6-1 Sr. Sally Discipulo G 5-3 Sr.

OUTLOOK

The Knights can’t wait to prove they have arrived. “We have never ever been this good,” DiMuro said. Nine players, including four starters, return from a club that set 11 team records last season. Dixon, a Times second-team All-Valley selection last season, has signed with the University of San Diego. If the Knights are to win a Mission League championship, however, they must beat Alemany, the No. 2 team in the state. “They are the model program,” DiMuro said. “We are building to beat that model.”

Simi Valley

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 15-12 7-7 4th (T)

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Dave Murphy 14th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Jamie Griffin G 5-7 Jr. Heidi Petz F 5-9 Sr. Corey Phillips F 5-7 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Tawnee Cooper F 5-9 Jr. Angela Mosesso G 5-4 Jr. Kayla Hughes C 6-0 Jr. Carrie Billone G 5-3 Sr.

OUTLOOK

Three starters return and the team has been bolstered by the addition of Cooper, a transfer from rival Royal who led Ventura County in scoring as a sophomore. “One of our goals is to compete for the league title,” Murphy said. “If everyone thinks we’re going to be good, we have to live up to those expectations.” Simi Valley will have plenty of competition in the league, especially from Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks.

Taft

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 10-2 5-1 1st

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Jim Woodard 1st

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Crystal Griffin F 6-0 Sr. Rachel Martinez C 6-1 Sr. Nyoki McKeith G 5-7 Jr. Sweden Monteagudo G 5-4 Sr. Deandra Schmidt F 5-11 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMER POS HT YR Vanessa Dunn F 5-11 So.

OUTLOOK

After 13 seasons coaching Taft’s boys’ team, Woodard takes over a girls’ team that won the Northwest Valley Conference championship and advanced to the City 3-A Division semifinals last year. This season, however, the conference has been moved to the 4-A division. Three starters return, including All-City selections Griffin and Martinez. McKeith, a small forward last season, has made the transition to point guard. “That was a huge question mark for us,” Woodard said. “Now it’s one of our strengths.”

Ventura

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 21-6 11-3 2nd

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL Glenn Gray 7th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Ember Brown G/F 5-8 Sr. Kristin Franklin G 5-10 So. Jeannie Chenoweth F 5-9 Sr. Julia Margenat G/F 5-10 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR none

OUTLOOK

In the past five seasons, the Cougars have reached a Southern Section final three times and the semifinals twice. “Our goal is to be peaking at playoff time,” Gray said. Brown must have another big season if Ventura is to challenge Buena in the Channel League. The All-Southern Section guard/forward averaged 14.6 points last season and has signed with Long Beach State. Size may be a problem for the Cougars. The tallest starter is 5-10.

Village Christian

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 26-3 8-0 1st

COACH YEAR AT SCHOOL John Domke 6th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Lindy James G/F 5-10 Jr. Trisha Palmquist G 5-10 Sr. Clanci Lehman F 5-9 Sr. Carrie Langhans G 5-8 Jr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Ashley Wornall F 5-9 Fr.

OUTLOOK

James, Palmquist and Lehman led the Crusaders to the Southern Section IV-A championship game and state semifinals last year. “The rest of our team is young and inexperienced, but they have a lot of talent,” Domke said. Village Christian has dominated the Alpha League, winning its past 18 games. Langhans’ ability to step in for graduated All-Southern Section point guard Jeanne Beauchamp may be pivotal.