Winter Sports
Preview Nov. 30, 2001 McConnell's
girls small, but quick By Zack Bolinger Daily Record Sports Writer
For the second year in a row, the
Waynedale girls basketball team is hoping to "Fry" the competition. Do-it-all forward Toni Fry returns as
the key component for the Golden Bears this season, a season coach Don
McConnell has given the theme of "smaller and quicker. Mostly smaller,
though." "I wouldn't trade her for any
other post," said McConnell of Fry. "She a little foul prone, but
when she is on the floor, she is tough to stop." Fry, a 5-foot-9 junior, averaged
11.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last year. She won't be
able to carry the Golden Bears to wins by herself, though, and two other
returning letterman - it would've been three if not for a key injury - are back
to help with that aspect. Fry will be joined by Bethany
Bracken and Brittany Stowers in the line up. According to McConnell, the 5-6
Bracken and the 5-9 Stowers are some of the most athletic players he's ever
had. They will be asked to occupy the void left by the graduation of post
players Jenna Gessel and Amy Dye. “Stowers is just as athletic as
anybody I’ve had, and Bracken is no slouch,” said McConnell, who returns for
his 10th season at Waynedale and holds a 126-89 career mark. “Right
now, it’s hard to keep (Stowers) healthy. But she can be dominanant at times.” Stowers, who averaged 9.9 points and
almost 3 assists per game last year, will try to be dominant from the point
guard spot, where the Golden Bears lost starter Aleah Lehman (9 points, 2.4
assists, 3 rebounds per game) from a year ago. Lehman, who is now playing at
Wayne College, wasn’t the biggest loss according to McConnell. “ I really think we’re better at
guard this year,” said McConnell, whose team finished 12-10 overall last year
and tied for fourth (6-8) in the WCAL. “ Our two JV guards could’ve played
varsity last year, but I’m not sure (Amanda) Clark and ( Paula ) Rice were
ready. “ I’m not saying we didn’t think a
lot of Aleah, but I don’t think we dropped off at all,” McConnell added. “
Losing the post players we did, probably hurt us more. … We are very thin
inside and will probably be using the guards in the post at times.” This season, Clark (5-3) and Rice
(5-3) will have to be ready, along with 5-7 forward Danielle Suppes, 5-8
forward Amy Thompson and 5-4 wing Mindy Miller. Suppes, along with either Clark
or Rice, are slated to join Fry, Bracken and Stowers in the starting lineup. “We will be very quick and deeper
this year,” McConnell said. “The work ethic is outstanding and this group will
battle everyone for four quarters. These girls work very hard and will continue
to improve.” One way McConnell hopes his club
will create some scoring opportunities, is by getting their hands into the
passing lanes and playing some “D.” “We will try to create some offense
with defensive pressure,” McConnell said. “It will be fun to get back to more
of a pressure defense and create some easy buckets. Win or lose, we will do our
best and this group will be fun to coach.” It will be more fun for McConnell if
the Golden Bears can notch some big wins. Especially in a Wayne County Athletic
League where perennial-power Chippewa looks as strong as ever. “Chippewa will still be the team to
beat. After that, any number of teams will be battlimg for position,” McConnell
said. “There are a lot of teams who return their main core players and are all
capable of knocking each other off on a given night. We currently have some
health questions, but if we can get through them, we should be competitive with
the upper-level teams.” One of those health questions has
been answered. Unfortunatly for McConnell, it was an answer he did not want. Senior post Amber Gerber (5-8), who
was one of four returning letterman and expecting to see key time, is done for
the year. Gerber tore her ACL and meniscus during soccer season and has decided
to have surgery. “I had planned on her seeing a lot
of time this season. In fact, she was averaging between 10-12 (points) a game this
summer,” McConnell said of Gerber. “She was a big loss for us.” With all the above into
consideration, McConnell believes his 2001-02 team could go two ways. “We have to play full court and
press to generate some offense,” McConnell said. “We’ll either be able to
bother teams or we’re really going to have to scramble to get things done.”
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