Farias named MVP, Kaplansky is top coach
It was no surprise when the Tri County Athletic League’s awards
were announced for the 2007-2008 girls basketball season that the
Haybalers of San Benito High wound up capturing more awards than
any other high school.
Farias named MVP, Kaplansky is top coach
It was no surprise when the Tri County Athletic League’s awards were announced for the 2007-2008 girls basketball season that the Haybalers of San Benito High wound up capturing more awards than any other high school.
After all, the Balers won the league title and followed that up by winning the school’s first-ever Central Coast Section basketball title. From there, the Baler girls advanced all the way to the semifinals in the Northern California bracket of the state tournament before ultimately losing to Berkeley High School.
It was truly a season to remember. But none of those accomplishments would have been possible without the Baler players, who battled it out on the court everyday to help San Benito High pull out victory after victory.
One of those players was junior Vanessa Farias, who wound up taking MVP honors for her stellar play at the demanding guard position. In addition to averaging 14.40 points a game, Farias led the league in scoring, three-point shots and field goals. In all she had 44 three-pointers, which helped to solidify the Balers perimeter threat.
“When we were at our best she was playing well,” said first-year coach David Kaplansky, who was also named the league’s Coach of the Year. “She was our top perimeter shooter. She became a better player as the season went on because she became more well-rounded. She started seeing the whole court better, her passing got better and her defense picked up.”
Baler point guard Elena Fata was also recognized for her solid play on the court this year. She averaged nearly 10 points a game and also knocked down 29 three-point shots, which helped to spark the Baler offense.
“She ran our team all 30 games and got us going in our sets,” Kaplansky said. “She pushed the ball well when we needed and created our tempo. She did a great job for us.”
The final Baler to earn a spot on the prestigious First Team list was forward Bri Romero. In addition to scoring six points a contest, Romero impressed the coaches of the TCAL (the people who vote) with her relentless play on both defense and offense.
“She was a huge part of our team,” Kaplansky said. “She was able to take on the best post player, and did a wonderful job rebounding and blocking out. She also got a number of loose balls for us.”
Kaplansky went on to say that Romero’s athleticism and speed on the court allowed her to outrun anyone that guarded her.
Earning a spot on the All Defensive Team roster this year was junior Kelsey Russell, who played the No. 3 guard in a lineup designed to increase defensive pressure as well as opportunities on the perimeter.
“She created a number of deflections and got a lot of steals for us,” Kaplansky said. “She is a great rebounder.”
Playing the demanding center position this season was 6-footer Lauren Adamek. She earned a spot on the Honorable Mention list for her solid play in the paint.
“She was an outstanding rebounder for us – just outstanding under the boards,” Kaplansky said. “In the championship game against Carlmont (CCS) she had a number of huge put-backs for us that helped us win the game. She really came a long way from the summer to the end of the year.”
Making the Sportsmanship list this season was senior Shireen Zamani, who played an important role coming off the bench when the starters got in foul trouble.
“At practice, she would really challenge the first group. She was a leader out there – someone who will really be missed,” Kaplansky said.
Although the 2008-2009 season won’t roll around for nearly a year, Kaplansky is already excited about his team’s prospects – and is already planning his team’s preseason schedule.
“I’m excited,” he said. “I’m going to put us up against the best Northern California teams. Now that we are CCS champs we are getting the respect of the top teams and they are inviting us to play against them in the preseason. We might sacrifice some wins early on by having a tough schedule but it’s going to make us that much better for the playoffs.”
And with three of the team’s five starters coming back, the expectations are soaring again at Balerland.
“Our freshman and JV teams have some really good players, and a lot of our starters are coming back,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
