Originally Published on 9/30/16Article By: Brian Smiley
With no clear favourite in the Brant County high school senior girls basketball league, North Park Collegiate coach Andrea Hawkins feels this season is going to be different.
"I think there are four teams in Brantford that all have a shot at winning it, which is fun because every other year everyone knew who was going to win before the season started," said Hawkins.
"Everybody offers something a little bit different."
And that includes the Trojans, who are 1-1 to start the season.
Hawkins said she thinks North Park, Assumption College, Brantford Collegiate Institute and St. John's College are serious title contenders.
In its recent past, North Park has been on the small side and relied on Sarah Minutillo to handle the ball. With some size on the roster and several players stepping up for the graduated Minutillo, the Trojans seem to be well rounded.
"The nine I have are all great players," Hawkins said. "We can run, we can slow it down and we can pound it inside. We have a lot of options but we haven't been able to do that yet."
Several North Park players are battling injuries and illness.
Hawkins said she hadn't played with more than seven players until this week when North Park beat Paris District High School. In a loss to Assumption College, the Trojans had just six bodies available.
When she gets her roster back on track, Hawkins will lean on fifth-year players Brooke Cesar and Julia Rankin, along with returning seniors Dani Romany and Sydney Adams.
Graduates from the junior team - which finished second at the Central Western Ontario Schools Athletic Association championships last season - are Noelle Adams, Amber Leggett, Kristen Martin, Bria Yurczyszyn and Charyssa Advincula. All five have seen action and will continue to be counted on.
"They're great kids," said Hawkins. "They all have a role, they're all important and they all offer something very different to the team, which is nice."
She said that the players get along well.
"They have fun together which, to me, is one of the most important things I'm learning about this sport as I get older."
After playing earlier in Western University's Purple and White Tournament, the Trojans captured a championship on the weekend at St. Andre Bessette Catholic Secondary School in London.
North Park is preparing for a game on Thursday against BCI and one on Tuesday against SJC, "We go into every game trying to win and every game I treat as an important game," Hawkins said. "However, we're still trying to figure things out.
"The positive is I'm getting lots of kids floor time. The kids who are normally my No. 6 and 7 are getting a lot of minutes and getting better because of it. Other kids are learning different roles, which is good."
She said that having a deep roster will be a benefit.
"That first game against Assumption always meant something," Hawkins said. "This year, I don't think September matters at all. It doesn't matter if you finish first or fourth.
"I think it's going to come down to who is healthy and who improves the most come November. It's going to be an exciting year, which is great."
Retrieved From: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2016/09/28/we-have-a-lot-of-options
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