Neil K. Warner - Daily Herald | Posted: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:00 pm
There are no expectations. There is no shadow to live under and no tradition to live up to because last year, there was no team.
Not even girls basketball coach Brad Geddes knows what to expect this year as Salem Hills embarks on its first basketball season in school history.
"I'm not going to jump to conclusions because I have a feel for what conference we're in. I have no idea how to judge. Our goal is to grow the program and take advantage of every opportunity to grow every day," he said. "To do that in two weeks will definitely be a challenge for us."
Geddes joined Salem Hills after coaching at Hillcrest High School for two years. One of the surprises he encountered in coming to Salem Hills was the number of quality seniors that ended up in his program. Traditionally, first-year schools take their beatings with underclassmen, but Geddes is going with seniors.
"I have a lot of seniors. That surprised me. We'll have four seniors in our starting lineup. That's never something a coach wants to do, but it's my strongest lineup" Geddes said. "We have a lot of juniors who are battling it out for playing time, but I don't think they're quite ready."
One player who is ready is Erika Adams, a junior shooting guard who will likely lead the team in scoring.
"She's an excellent shooter. She can shoot and penetrate," Geddes said. "She is a full-package player."
Joining Adams on the guard line will be senior and team captain Rachel Simmons, who will play the point guard spot.
If Geddes moves Simmons to the two-spot, Danielle Jones can take over at point guard. A pair of seniors are prepared to man the forward spots. Geddes is high on Samantha Bigler (5-foot-11), who he says can run the floor, penetrate and rebound. Whitney Swenson gives the Skyhawks a relentless rebounder and a scrapper inside.
At center, Salem Hills will look to senior and team captain Jacqui Moyar (6-0), who has a soft touch and will give the Skyhawks a threat in the post.
Adding to the team's depth at forward will be Andrea Lindquist, a 5-9 senior who will rely on her quickness and athletic ability to cause a headache for opposing teams.
Several other players could work their way into Geddes rotation, but those mentioned will be who he is counting on as the season tips off.
"The key for us is communicating with each other. We all come from different coaching backgrounds. We just need to learn how to communicate," Moyar said. "I think we can be pretty competitive. We have a lot of talented girls on the team. I think we're set up for success in the future. We have a good group of younger girls who keep getting better."
All eyes in Salem will be on the Skyhawks' opener against Cedar City.
"That will give us a better indication of where we're at. They're a very good 3A team. We're excited to get started up and have some fun. It's going to be great," Geddes said. "I don't put any limits on these girls. They expect to get into the state playoffs this year. That's where we want to be."