SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2011
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
The 2011 Pittston Area girls basketball team, front row, from left, Coach Patty Pace, Katie Jobson, Charley Zanta, Laura Brady, Amy Silinskie, Brooke Balchune, Anna Littzi, Samantha Rydzy, Allie Barber, and Jacqueline Rabender. Second row: Bill Conklin, trainer, Coach Kathy Healey, Kristen Fereck, Grace O'Neill, Kelly Mitchell, Cales Owens, Kaitlyn Symean, Mia Hopkins, Ali Brady, Liz Waleski, Coach Mary Thornton and Coach Chris Michaels.
Lady Patriots ready to fight
Pittston Area returns leading scorer, rebounder in junior Hopkins By Rick Notari
Dispatch Staff
R
eturning one of the top players in the Wyoming Valley Conference, the Pittston Area girls’ basketball team is ready to be contenders. But veteran Head Coach Kathy Healey knows it will not be an easy task as the Lady Patriots face off against the likes of Hazleton, Crestwood, Valley West and Coughlin during the WVC
Division 1 slate. Still Pittston Area is ready to put up a fight. “We are in a competitive division, and every team is competitive,” said Healey, who enters her third season at the helm. “It will be a fight every night. “We have two definite starters and a host of other players fighting for the other three positions.” One of those two returnees is junior Mia Hopkins. The 5’9 forward enters her third season in the starting lineup for the Lady
PA girls schedule Jan. 12 ..................at Hazleton Jan. 16 ...HOLY REDEEMER Jan. 19 .........VALLEY WEST Jan. 24 ..................at Scranton Jan. 26.....TUNKHANNOCK Jan. 30 ...........CRESTWOOD Feb. 2 ........................at Dallas Feb. 6 ...................at Coughlin Feb. 9.................HAZLETON Feb. 13..............at Valley West Feb. 16 ....WYOMING AREA Home games in CAPS
the backcourt. Both averaged around 3.0 ppg. The fifth player with experience that returns is junior 5’10 center Kelly Mitchell. Mitchell also saw action as a starter last season and provided Pittston Area with an inside defender and rebounder. Sophomores Brooke Balchune and Cales Owens also saw action last season off the bench as freshmen. Balchune, a 5’3 guard, and Owens, a 5’11 center, played in a combined 31 games and scored 50 points total. Newcomers Healey expects to contribute are junior guard Amy Silinskie, sophomore forwards Ali Brady and Katie Jobson, sophomore guards Laura Brady, Anna Littzi, Jackie Rabender, and Sam Rydzy, sophomore center Kaitlyn Simyan, and freshmen guards Liza Waleski and Allie Barber. “Crestwood and Wyoming Valley West are the top teams in Division I,” said Healey. “Hazleton Area is always tough too. “We hope that our hard work
PA girls roster No. Name ........Ht. Year Pos. 2 Brooke Balchune .5’3 So. G 3 Allie Barber ..........5’3 Fr. G 4 Kristen Fereck .......5’7 Jr. G 5 Liz Waleski...........5’7 Fr. G 10 Katie Jobson......5’10 So. F 11 Kelly Mitchell .....5’10 Jr. F 12 Amy Silinskie ......5’4 Jr. G 14 Samantha Rydzy5’5 So. G 15 Jackie Rabender..5’9 So. F 21 Grace O’Neill....5’10 Sr. G 22 Anna Littzi.........5’3 So. G 23 Mia Hopkins .......5’11 Jr. F 24 Cales Owens......5’11 So. F 25 Laura Brady........5’2 So. F 31 Charley Zanta......5’4 Sr. G 33 Ali Brady............5’9 So. F 44 Kaitlyn Simyan .5’10 So. F Head Coach: Kathy Healey Asst. Coaches: Chris Michaels, Mary Thornton, and Patty Pace
PAGE 53
Dec. 9 Marseco Memorial at OF Dec. 11 Marseco Memorial at OF Dec. 13 ................HANOVER Dec. 14 .......................at GAR Dec. 20............NANTICOKE Dec. 22....................DALLAS Dec. 27 ..PA Holiday Tourney Dec. 29 ..PA Holiday Tourney Jan. 3 .....................at Berwick Jan. 5 .................at Crestwood Jan. 9 .................COUGHLIN
Patriots after leading the WVC with 18.9 points per game last season. Hopkins has the ability to light up the scoreboard, and is just 283 points shy of 1,000 for her career. She can also control the paint as demonstrated by her ability to get off the floor. The other Lady Patriots returning starter may not be a household name, but she should be. Senior 5’8 guard Grace O’Neill enters her fourth season in the starting lineup and buried 49 three-pointers on her way to averaging 9.6 ppg last season as a junior. O’Neill has 77 triples in the past two seasons. The PA duo gives the Lady Patriots a strong inside-out combination. “Our strengths are our leadership, team chemistry and quickness,” said Healey. Some of that quickness will come from returning guards Charley Zanta and Kristen Fereck. Zanta, a 5’4 senior guard, and Fereck, a 5’7 junior guard, both saw action in the starting lineup last season and give the Lady Patriots additional experience in
pays off and we are in the mix as one of the top teams.”