Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008

Experience key for Okawville, Freeburg

Central, Wesclin sport young, talented teams

Kathy Lanter enters her 24th season as coach of the Okawville Rockets with one of the most senior-laden lineups of her tenure.

Three senior starters return and a fourth senior also will start for the Rockets, who finished 16-14 last year after a loss to Moweaqua Central A&M in the Class 1A Bridgeport Red Hill Super-Sectional.

"We're really excited this year," said Lanter, whose club was ranked second behind Nashville in the News-Democrat Small-School preseason rankings. "It's going to be a very experienced group of girls.

"The key is staying out of foul trouble because we're not very deep. If we stay out of foul trouble, I think we have a chance because we're playing better defense and rebounding better. The potential is there with this group."

The Rockets are solid at their core with seniors Haylee Althoff (11.1 points per game, 32 3-pointers), point guard Shaina Rennegarbe (6.3 ppg) and forward Tess Schubert (7.0 ppg).

"We do have a nice nucleus back," Lanter said. "We have three returning starters that scored a lot of points and did a lot of things for us last year. They have a lot of experience -- in big games, especially. They've played real well."

Paige Schuette, a senior guard who buried 12 3-pointers last year, also will start, along with junior Ashlyn Brammeier. Six-foot freshman Alyssa Brammeier will be the Rockets' first player off the bench and be an integral part of their success.

"She's going to play a lot," Lanter said. "She tore her ACL as an eighth-grader, and she's just about at a year of rehabbing, which is that crucial time. I like her. She has a real good understanding of the game and a good nose for the game. She also has a very pretty shot."

The Rockets are in their second year as a Class 1A school yet still play the same exacting schedule filled with 2A, 3A and even 4A opponents. Last year, Okawville entered the playoffs a game below .500 and nearly made the Final Four.

"I think we surprised a lot of people last year," Lanter said. "I don't think they thought we'd get that far in the playoffs."

A productive summer at camps and tournaments means Okawville won't be a surprise this year.

"We had a good summer," Lanter said. "The year before, we did not have a very good summer. We did this summer, and we played a lot of games and won a lot of games.

"I think the chemistry is better and the work ethic is very good just because they got to taste that Elite Eight game. This group of seniors really wants to succeed."

Freeburg

The Midgets experienced the benefit of dropping from Class 3A to 2A this fall when their volleyball team captured the Class 2A state championship.

Freeburg's basketball team won't have the same profound impact, but a strong returning base of starters will make the Midgets a force on the small-school scene.

"I really believe they're the team to beat in the Cahokia Conference," said Wesclin coach Tim Moore. "They're really going to be strong."

The Midgets lose just two players from last year's club, which finished 19-9. Back are leading scorer Jessica Richert (12.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg), a 5-10 senior, along with 5-9 senior Dani Smith (7.1 ppg) and 5-8 junior guard Brittany Hubert (6.3 ppg).

Hubert was Freeburg's leading 3-point shooter, nailing 25 from behind the arc.

Central

A year removed from winning the Class A state title, the Cougars must deal with the graduation of five of its top eight players.

"We pretty much have a lot of question marks coming into the season," said Central coach Nathan Rueter. "We don't know at this point what to expect. We know they're going to work hard and try hard, but as far as stepping up and filling roles of those kids, that's going to be pretty tough to do."

Central returns two senior starters in point guard Leann Voss (7.6 ppg, 27 3-pointers, 70 steals) and Kelsie Netemeyer. Sophomore Jena Hemann, the defending Class A state high jump champion, will play all over the floor for the Cougars.

"Leann is very proven, and she's going to be our go-to player," Rueter said. "Jena is one of the, if not the most, athletic players in the area. But she's only a sophomore in high school. She has a long way to go. She's going to be a good basketball player, but she knows she has a lot of work to do."

Wesclin

The Warriors return a young but talented core of players that feature one senior, two juniors, six sophomores and a freshman.

"I thought we were very young last year, but technically, I guess we're even younger now with only one senior on the roster," Moore said.

Leading the way for Wesclin is senior guard Emily Weinberg (11 ppg, 41 3-pointers, 53 assists, 40 steals) and 5-11 sophomore guard/forward Chelsea Klein, who burst on the scene to average 13.7 ppg and sink 41 3-pointers as a freshman.

"It seems strange to say about a girl that averaged 13 ppg last year, but she's improved a ton," Moore said. "I think she's going to be a much-improved player. She's stronger this year, she's quicker and faster. She'll be tough to deal with. She'll be a tough matchup."

Contact reporter Rod Kloeckner at rkloeckner@bnd.com or 239-2663.