Gilroy has just one returning starter from last season’s
unbeaten TCAL team
Gilroy – The Gilroy girls’ basketball team will press to get its points.
First-year head coach James Wilkins is still getting to know his players. And eight of 10 on the varsity are still working on getting their basketball legs.
They’d better get those legs in a hurry because the Mustangs are going to be a pressing club. They may be short on varsity numbers. Wilkins, however, anticipates all 10 girls playing each game.
“We have a lot of interchangeable parts,” Wilkins said. “We have girls who can play the 1 and 2. We can have others who can play the 3 and 4. It may take a little while for the girls to get comfortable since they started so late (the fall sports seasons ended one week ago).”
Wilkins and assistant Ana Patejdl bring passion and enthusiasm to the team. Most of the experience from last year’s team that enjoyed an unbeaten romp through the Tri-County Athletic League and was 23-4 overall is gone.
Nevertheless, Wilkins is excited about the girls he can put on the floor, even if many lack varsity experience.
The most experienced Mustang is also the tallest – 6-1 Dana Schoeneman, the only returning starter. Vanessa Wilkins, the coach’s daughter, did start toward the beginning of the season but wound up as the sixth girl. Russhelle Presshl and Amanda Spellman also saw varsity action.
Five of the other six were on sub-varsity teams. The sixth, 5-10 Erin Magill, adds depth up front.
Wilkins is excited but he tried to temper the enthusiasm of the parents during a recent meeting.
“I told them not to expect that we’ll walk away with the championship,” Wilkins said. “These girls will fight and give their heart and soul. It’s up to Ana and I to make sure we utilize players we have and go from there. The chemistry is there. The girls all get along well.”
Six of the 10 were field hockey players. Also, despite that Wilkins was only appointed coach a month before practice he was involved with the summer league programs. But he knows that North Salinas and Notre Dame, especially, will be formidable foes in TCAL.
The Mustangs will mix up defenses and mix and match at certain positions. But Wilkins expects to get positive results from the press.
“We have to,” Wilkins said of pressure defense. “There may be teams quicker and bigger than we are, so we have to be a surprise to teams.”
It’s tough to surprise teams after sweeping the league one year earlier. But it’s a new season with new coaches. The James Wilkins era is set to begin Nov. 28 with a game at Live Oak.
