Season preview: Warren

Posted November 10, 2011 10:00 pm

By Joe Aguilar

Warren

Coach: John Stanczykiewicz (13th season)

Last season: 15-13, 6-6 NSC Lake

Key losses: none

Returning players: Sr. G Amanda Barger, Sr. G Lexi Leneau, Sr. C Jessica Prince, Sr. F Taylor Cotey, Jr. F Alyssa Phillips, So. G/F Kristen O'Brien, Sr. F Taylor Sheppard, Sr. G Stephanie Bata, Sr. G Cheyenne Fitts, Sr. F Aubri Hazen, So. G/F Cassie Christie

Newcomers: Sr. F Amaya Patrick, Jr. F Alyssa Henry, Jr. G Rachel Brown

Season opener: host Loyola, 7 p.m. Wednesday

Outlook: The Blue Devils have gone from having no seniors last season to nine. "It's going to be a long senior night," coach John Stanczykiewicz quipped. It could be a long night from plenty of opponents considering the Blue Devils boast loads of experience, as well as two-time all-area guard Lexi Leneau and a pair of Division I recruits in senior guard Amanda Barger, who's signed with Youngstown State University, and senior center Jessica Prince, who's expected to sign Monday with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Junior forward Alyssa Phillips, senior forward Taylor Cotey and sophomore guard/forward Cassie Christie also received plenty of starts last season. Sharpshooting sophomore Kristen O'Brien was promoted to the varsity full-time in January. "You would figure that the conventional wisdom would be that with all the kids we have back, with the talent we have, the physical ability we have, that we would be one of the favorites in the county and certainly in the conference," Stanczykiewicz said. "So our preparation since Day 1 has been that we're not going to surprise anybody, that people will be ready to play us. They know who are players are. They know who our best players should be, and they will prepare for us that way." Leneau (9.2 points, 3.7 assists, 2.5 steals) will be starting for the fourth year in a row. The 5-9 Barger and the 6-3 Prince are also four-year varsity players. The roster stands at 14, after Stanczykiewicz sometimes had only nine players at practice last season. Senior forward Amaya Patrick did not play last season. "Your team is better when you have seniors," Stanczykiewicz said. "We were a team in search of an identity last year because we didn't have seniors." Different story this season.

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