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GameTimePA.com presents the YAIAA Division IV girls' basketball preview capsules:
Biglerville
Canners
Coach: Rob Moore (5th season)
2011-12 record: 6-16, 1-12
Returning starters
Olivia Moore (5-6, Sr., G, 8.8 points), Nettie Baugher (5-9, Sr., F, 3.5 points), Maddie Wenk (5-4, Jr., G, 1.0 points), Rebecca Isaac (5-7, So,. G/F, 5.7 points)
Others to watch
None
The skinny: Plenty of varsity experience returns for the Canners, though depth might become an issue as the season continues.
Olivia Moore is the leading returning scorer, while Isaac was the third-leading point producer on last season's team.
Rob Moore wants his team to run an up-tempo attack, in part to get more free throws, and to do a better job of controlling rebounds.
"If we can stay injury free and improve during the first half of the season, we could be a difficult team to defeat," he said.
-- Chuck Curley
Delone Catholic
Squirettes
Coach: Gerry Eckenrode (14th season)
2011-12 record: 23-6, 11-2
Returning starters
Maddie Comly (5-8, So.,
Others to watch
Paige Becker (5-11, Jr., C), Molly Durbin (6-3, Sr., C), Mary Gingrow (5-9, Jr., G/F), Julie Mall (6-0, Sr., F), Isabela Ugarte (5-2, Sr., G)
The skinny: The Squirettes enter the 2012-13 season looking like a vastly different team than they have in years past. Gone are Sierra Moore, Maria Photiades and Courtney McMaster. The three graduates accounted for more than 30 points per game and led Delone to the PIAA semifinals.
The Squirettes will lean on returning starters Comly, Sponseller and Ball to provide on-court leadership. Although it does not have the consistent scoring returning, Eckenrode said Delone does have a lot of team chemistry and brings a strong work ethic each time it takes the court.
The Squirettes should be strong in their perimeter shooting and are a group filled with upperclassmen who have a strong knowledge of the system.
-- Mike Rubin
Fairfield
Green Knights
Coach: Ken Brown (1st season)
2011-12 record: 5-15, 1-12
Returning starters
Kelly Quealy (5-4, Sr., G, 7.7 points), Erin Donaldson (5-6, Sr., G, 4.0 points), Lexy Junker (5-4, Jr., G, 4.7 points)
Others to watch
Alisha Kelley (5-7, Jr., G/F), Jazmyn Mason (5-7, Sr., F), Annie Roberts (5-7, So., F)
The skinny: The Green Knights are entering the 2012-13 season as a defensive-minded team. Brown, in his first season as the head coach of the girls' team, has implemented multiple defenses.
With only 16 girls on junior varsity and varsity, the Knights must stay out of
A guard-oriented team, Fairfield will turn to its three returning starters to lead the way.
The Knights are in a difficult division, going up against Delone Catholic and York Catholic. Brown is trying to build a program and realizes success will not come overnight. He has begun from the ground up, making sure his team is fundamentally sound in all aspects of the game.
-- Mike Rubin
Hanover
Nighthawks
Coach: Denny Garman (2nd season)
2011-12 record: 10-13, 5-8
Returning starters
Shelby Barnes (5-7, Jr., G, 4.5 points), Zoie Cleary (5-4, Sr., G, 4.1 points)
Others to watch
Linsey Bowersox (5-5, Sr., G), Soukaina Tracy (5-11, Fr., G), Mackenzie Naill (5-11, Sr., F), Morgan Yealy (5-11, Sr., F), Rebecca Silver (5-7, Jr., G), Renee Drawbaugh (5-6, Jr., G), Liz Gibson (5-7, Jr., G), Morgan Herrick, (5-7, So., G), Emily Giannini (5-6, Jr., G), Lauren Smith (5-8, So., F)
The skinny: Hanover has to replace its two leading scorers from last season in Abbey Rhodes, now playing for York College, and Courtney Cleary. However, two starters are back, as are seven others who gained varsity experience last season.
Garman returns as head coach after leading Hanover to its first season of 10 or more wins since 2002-03. With an open battle for the starting center's position under way in camp, his team will seek more offense this winter after no player had a double-digit average in 2011-12. Garman is looking for leadership from his team's younger players.
Hanover will attempt to continue a strong defense after allowing 46.3 points per game last season.
-- Chuck Curley
York Catholic
Fighting Irish
Coach: Kevin Bankos (7th season)
2011-12 record: 29-4, 12-1
Returning starters
Morgan Klunk (Sr., 14 points), Deanna Chesko (Jr., G)
Others to watch
Hannah Laslo (6-0, So., C), Zaenna Echevarria (5-9, Jr., G)
The skinny: The Irish have played in six of the last seven PIAA Class AA title games and hope to continue that run. They'll have to figure out how to replace three starters, and the 25 points per game they lost to graduation, to accomplish that.
Returning starters Klunk and point guard Chesko will lead the way. Klunk was a PIAA Class AA third-team selection a season ago.
Despite the losses to graduation, Bankos believes his team can play a nine-person rotation. The Irish are versatile. They have good size with Laslo (6-0), who played in all 33 games last season as a freshman. They also have good athleticism with junior guard Echevarria.
The Irish can be strong again, but there might be a few growing pains early as they gain experience and learn on the defensive end.
-- Jonas Fortune
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