Lady Devils basketball team ‘still young,’ but hopes to improve on last year’s winless season
by Jeff Richards
contributing writer
Nov 15, 2012 | 2127 views | 0 0 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Lady Devils basketball players Alexandra Gomez, Madison Jones, Kenzie Taysom, and Hannah Rice take shots from the baseline during practice on Monday, Nov. 12. Photo by Jeff Richards
Lady Devils basketball players Alexandra Gomez, Madison Jones, Kenzie Taysom, and Hannah Rice take shots from the baseline during practice on Monday, Nov. 12. Photo by Jeff Richards
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The Grand County High School girls basketball team may have had a rough last year, but third-year coach Rick Lopez says he expects to see the Lady Devils be more competitive this season.

“Last year was tough… We didn’t win a game,” said Lopez. “We’re still young, but hopefully, this year we’ll be able to win some.”

Lopez’s youngest daughter, Torrie, a senior, returns this season as the team’s point guard. At 5-foot-2, she’s the tallest of the Lopez sisters to have played basketball.

Other returning varsity players from last year’s squad include senior Kenzie Taysom; juniors Alexandra Gomez, Teaven Fredericks, Tymberley Fredericks and Alena Geiser; and sophomores Kasey Betts, Zhanna Rice and Brook Schultz.

New faces on the team this year include seniors Cassie Lema and Linda Minor; junior Shaylee Dalton; and freshmen Symony Call, Lauren Drake, Kylie Haycock, Madison Jones, Tressa Renn and Hannah Rice.

Senior Morgan Dalton, who injured her knee at the beginning of the season last year, will not be able to play this year, but will serve as the team’s manager, coach Lopez said.

“We’re going to miss her as a player this year for sure,” he said.

He said the larger number of players this season should help the team be more competitive.

“Last year, we didn’t have very many girls on the team, so most of our players played both [junior varsity] and varsity, and the girls usually got tired by the second game,” Lopez said. “Right now, we have 19 girls on the team this year, so that should help.”

Still, the Lady Devils don’t have a lot of height, Lopez said, noting that the team’s two tallest players are Gomez and Call, both of whom are 5-foot-10.

“We have a lot of guards, but we’re looking to run a more up-tempo offense and keep the ball moving up the floor,” said Lopez, who is being joined on the coaching staff by assistants Ryon Jones and Alison Brown.

Gomez said the team has improved its speed this year.

“We’re fast this year,” said Gomez, who was one of the team’s top rebounders last year. “We run a lot.”

“I think that we will be a lot better than last year,” added Taysom, who primarily plays forward. “It should be a fun season.”

The Lady Devils’ first game of the season will be a non-region contest next Tuesday, Nov. 20 against the Green River Pirates at Moab. The junior varsity game begins at 5:30 p.m., with the varsity game to follow at 7 p.m.
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