Next season’s version of Richmond Hill High School girls basketball team is slated for an action-packed month as they become acquainted with their new line-up.
Coach Elizabeth Bennett has scheduled 35 games in June.
After June, the team will take some time off, including the entire month of July. Bennett said this is so her girls can enjoy some summer leisure time. Thus far, the team has gained a victory over South Effingham while suffering a loss to a tough Statesboro team.
Bennett, who is going into her second year with the program, said she is optimistic about the coming year based on her new roster and what she has seen thus far. She said much of last year was spent getting acquainted and going over basics while this year will be taking it one step further.
Although she just lost three of her aces to graduation – Colleen Keller, Jade Crosby and Marisha Durham – she is gaining a slew of players from the region champion RHMS team. Not to mention the fact that many of last season’s hopefuls, including basketball phenom and points leader Tyler Carlson - now a junior, are staying put.
"Believe it or not, Tyler has already improved her game this summer," Bennett said. "Her three-point shot is better and she’s working on when to shoot. With a lot of great players out there, you’ll see their talent kind of level off. That certainly is not the case right now with Tyler."
"Dajah Davis is really turning it on too this summer," Bennett continued. "Between her and Shakeena Durham, our post play is very strong."
Bennett said Courtney Myers has shown great improvement on both offense and defense.
"She (Myers) is picking a lot of people off and getting those fast break points which helps our offense," she said.
Bennett has moved Carlson to the number one position. RHHS track star Janelle McKinney will take the number two spot with senior Rochelle Postell claiming the number three position. Backing them is Alena Tyson and last season’s JV star Kaley Macauley.
They’re also backed up by freshmen Aliyah Johnson, Keisha Durham and Sarah Goolsby – all strong components in last season’s RHMS region title victory.
RHMS girls basketball coach Sean Strickland said he expects these players of his to make an immediate impact on the high school team, "not so much in leadership, because they’ll be freshmen, but in effort and poise on the court. I think they’ll give Elizabeth and her team the energy and the shot in the arm that they need to have a successful season."
Bennett just sent the varsity team to a camp at Mercer. Later this month, she will send all the players to camp at Armstrong – a camp she used to help run as she was a coach at Armstrong before coming to RHHS.