WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

2008-2009 OUTLOOK  

 Entering her second year as the head coach of the Feather River College Golden Eagles, Haley White seems to have all of the necessary pieces in place for a strong 2008-2009 season.  The team is returning five sophomores, and adds thirteen freshmen to complete the roster.  The Golden Eagles have a tough Golden Valley Conference schedule which includes College of the Siskiyous which made it to the Elite Eight last year.   The Golden Eagles also have a challenging pre-season schedule which includes Sierra College and Ohlone College.  Coach White is excited with the work that the returners put in this past spring, and looks forward to more hard work from the entire group come August when school starts.

FRC returns a very talented and motivated group in guard Rashonda McAlister (Reno, NV) who set the tempo last year for the Golden Eagles.  “Ro is very athletic and will be looked at to push the ball up the court as quickly as possible.  She will also be a factor on the defensive side of the ball as she possesses the aggressiveness and toughness it takes to be a great defender.  Hug High guard Kaneisha Jones (Reno, NV) had a great freshmen year posting 12 double doubles.  Kaneisha has a tremendous talent of getting the ball to the rim and finishing with a fantastic move.”  Angela Hensey (Las Vegas, NV) added a favorable dimension to the Golden Eagle team as a forward who played both in the paint and on the perimeter.  “Like Kaneisha, Angela was able to get into the lane and make great shots.  She is very athletic and was a key factor on defense as she has the quickness and long arms needed to get deflections and turnovers.  Angela led the team in blocks with almost two a game.  LaMechia Gowans (Las Vegas, NV) rounds up the returning class, “she established herself as a dominate force in the paint last year and I expect her to continue that force this season.” 

The incoming freshmen class offers all the compliments to the sophomore class that is needed.  Very talented guards Lenise Cambell (Las Vegas, NV), Britney Bell (Las Vegas, NV), Shanice Martin (Reno, NV), Gabrielle Almeida (Brentwood, CA), and Breanne Reynolds (Fall River, CA) all have what it takes to be successful at this level and beyond.  They are all quick and very athletic, and will create trouble for those whom they will be guarding.  Offensively, they all have the capability to hit the three, while keeping the game interesting and getting into the lane.  Off guards Sierra Shaw (Reno, NV), Ariel Lester (Empire, NV) Riann Eckert (Reno, NV), and Brianna Dunn (Fernley, NV) will provide the needed height to compete with the big named schools.  Shaw and Dunn have great range and will knock down the three, while Lester and Eckert will big on the boards and getting into the lane.  Erica Haedrich (San Jose, CA), Carin Root (Greenville, CA), Leeann Kossow (Gridley, CA), and Briana Brown (Las Vegas, NV) are all talented post players that have the height and skill to be competitive.  With these talented post players, I expect to own the boards and defend other bigs well.

The Golden Eagles have a rigorous pre-season ahead of them which includes a strength and conditioning program in combination with individual workouts.  Coach White feels that the team will be in great physical and mental shape, and will be a fun group of young ladies to watch and support.  “I am excited about this season because we were able to recruit the incoming class for an entire year; we have all of the pieces in place.  With hard work and dedication on everybody’s part, the Golden Eagles hope to turn some heads and make a name for ourselves in the Golden Valley Conference once again.