Girls basketball preview
He’s a familiar face at San Benito High and this year former
varsity boys basketball coach David Kaplansky
– the coach who led the Balers to a league title in 2004 and
trips to the final four in the 2004 and 2005 Central Coast Section
tournament – is back.
Girls basketball preview
He’s a familiar face at San Benito High and this year former varsity boys basketball coach David Kaplansky – the coach who led the Balers to a league title in 2004 and trips to the final four in the 2004 and 2005 Central Coast Section tournament – is back.
But this year he is coaching the Baler girls’ varsity squad – a team with an abundance of talent and depth throughout the roster.
“It feels good to be back,” Kaplansky said. “I took a few years off but now I’m reenergized. I took the time to learn and look at what others [coaches] were doing. I feel that I have a better perspective now for coaching, and my philosophy is clearer.”
A year ago the Baler girls finished with a record of 8-15 overall and went 5-7 in league, which prevented them from making the CCS playoffs. But this year Kaplansky believes that his squad not only has enough skill to earn a playoff spot but he believes that his team will vie for a league title.
“Our goal is to be competitive in league and have a chance to be in the hunt for the title heading into the final week,” Kaplansky said. “From there, I want to get the program competitive at the section level.”
So far Kaplansky’s squad is well on its way to reaching those goals. In the season opener to Soledad the Balers picked up a 60-13 win and followed that up with a 56-31 win at King City.
“We’re really deep this year,” Kaplansky said. “I’m expecting to play 10 to 11 girls each game.”
One of those girls is starting point guard Elena Fata. So far this season she is averaging eight points a game. Her senior leadership on the court is one of the things Kaplansky has been most impressed with.
“She does a great job handling the ball,” he said. “She gets the team organized.”
Her main focus on the court this year will be handling the ball and creating opportunities for other players, although she can shoot if need be.
“She hit a pair of three-pointers in our last game and she can hit the open shot,” Kaplansky said.
The Balers other starting guard this year is Kelsey Russell – the team’s defensive specialist.
“She’s our stopper,” Kaplansky said. “She does a great job on defense. She creates turnovers and does a great job passing the basketball.”
In the early going this season Russell has also impressed her coach for her prowess at getting up and down the court, as well as her ability to pick up clutch rebounds, which jump start the team’s transition game.
Since Kaplansky likes to run a three guard set with two forwards up top junior Vanessa Farias, the team’s leading scorer the past few seasons, will see the bulk of her time out on the wing.
“She loves to play and is a good scorer but right now she’s focusing on getting everyone else involved and creating opportunities for other players too,” Kaplansky said. “And she did that in the game against King City. She had nine assists in that one.”
In the early going this season she is tied with Victoria Aguilera, a sophomore forward, in scoring. The two are averaging nearly 12 points a contest.
At 6 feet, Aguilera is a big threat for the Balers in both the low post and from outside the paint.
“She’s a really diverse player and has both an inside and outside game,” Kaplansky said. “She could be very important to our future. She has a lot of basketball skills.”
In the win over King City Aguilera scored 19 points.
“She knows how to knock down the open shot,” Kaplansky said.
Playing alongside Aguilera up front the Balers are privileged enough to have another 6-footer in Lauren Ademek. And while Aguilera is scoring in the paint and draining shots, Ademek is a big factor in the Balers ability to grab the offensive rebounds.
“She gets good position under the basket,” Kaplansky said. “She also gets a lot of defensive rebounds to ignite our break.”
And just this past week the undefeated Balers enhanced their roster even more when 6-foot-1 and 5-foot-9 forwards Megan Halstead and Bri Romero joined up with the team after wrapping up the volleyball season the week before.
A two-year varsity player, Halstead brings an aggressive style of play to the Balers that should help to spark the team in the coming weeks.
“She’s got a real passion for the game,” Kaplansky said.
Kaplansky will look to the senior Romero to set an example on the court.
“She is a great leader – she leads by example,” he said. “She’s got a strong work ethic and has had success at this school in multiple sports – a great role model.”
Another multi-sport athlete in the Baler lineup this year is guard Katie O’Brien, who just wrapped up her season with the golf team. In the early going, Kaplansky has been most impressed with her strong work ethic and her defensive skill set.
“She is our stopper,” he said. “She has a passion for the game and understands her role. She’s very enthusiastic.”
Although O’Brien is expected to get the bulk of her playing time when the regular starters get in foul trouble, Kaplansky made it clear that he’s in the envious position this year of having so much depth that he anticipates playing up to 11 players each and every game.
Two guards that fit into that category are Vanessa Casselegono and Shireen Zamani. Casselegono is a 5-foot-5 sophomore, who has impressed Kaplansky with her strong work ethic and ability to handle the basketball.
Zamani is a senior with strong defensive skills and a solid work ethic.
“This is going to be a really good year,” Kaplansky said. “I have so many good players that came out and are on this team this year. It should be a lot of fun.”
The Balers first league match doesn’t take place until Jan. 4 – the day they host the Cowboys of Salinas High.
