Girls high school basketball: Despite injuries, West Campus thrives

February 12 2011 by Taylah Cosgrove in Education Sport Tips |No Comments

John Langston admits it was culture shock taking over the girls basketball program at West Campus last season.

Langston found a different world from his previous stints as girls coach at Sacramento High, where basketball is a campus focal point, and at San Jose State, where he worked two seasons as a women’s assistant coach.

“We have athletic kids, but they tend to play multiple sports and more for the camaraderie and to have fun,” Langston said. “For these girls, academics definitely comes first.”

While Langston is the first to agree there is nothing wrong with that, it’s meant adjustments both for him and his players.

“I had to change my demands, change my expectations while also trying to change the mindset,” said Langston, who coached standouts Vicki Baugh (Tennessee) and Jessika Bradley (Baylor, San Diego State) during his Sac High tenure. “I think we’re turning things around as far as the players seeing they can still be scholars but can also play in college.”

In Langston’s first season, West Campus went 21-7 and won the school’s first league girls basketball championship.

This season, the Warriors (15-8, 7-1) are in a position to repeat as champions, albeit in a new league, if they can defeat visiting Capital Christian (18-7, 6-2) tonight. Capital Christian handed the Warriors their only Golden Empire League loss, 44-37 on Jan. 28.

And the Warriors have done it despite two big injuries.

Senior tri-captain Deja Jackson has missed most of the season because of a dislocated right kneecap and 5-foot-11 freshman standout Erianna Williams, averaging 9.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, missed eight games midway through the season because of a sprained left knee ligament and is just now rounding into shape.

That’s allowed Haley Shaner, a 6-foot sophomore, to shine. Shaner, averaging 16.6 points and 8.1 rebounds, is part of the new breed who Langston thinks has the determination and focus to play beyond high school.

With gritty defensive play the Warriors are allowing fewer than 37 points per game from the likes of seniors Delayna Staricka and Cassandra Nobida, juniors Maddysen Casimir-Taylor and Mariah Vincent Lilly and freshmen Eunique Nelson, Barbara Keomany and Soko Paongo, the Warriors are making Langston proud.

“I’m having fun,” he said. “I think we’re showing that you don’t have to have superstars to win. You just have to have kids who have heart and a desire to play the game.”

Troubadours’ challenge St. Francis, which coasted past Lincoln of Stockton 65-44 on Saturday in a possible Sac-Joaquin Section Division I section championship preview, plays at St. Mary’s of Stockton on Wednesday night.

St. Mary’s (19-2) is ranked No. 4 in the state and No. 8 nationally in the ESPN Rise Fab 50.

The Rams’ only losses came back-to-back to USA Today No. 1 Brea Olinda of Southern California and Riverdale Baptist of Upper Marlboro, Md., in December’s Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona.

Brother-sister acts Two area schools have brother-sister duos leading their respective programs into the postseason.

Senior guard Kelly Logue tops the No. 8 Bella Vista girls in scoring at 15.5 points per game while junior forward K.J. Logue is averaging a team-best 13.0 for the Broncos boys, who are 8-0 in the Capital Valley Conference.

Valley Christian senior guard Carly Gish tops the Lions girls team in scoring at 19.1 points per game while brother Jason, a junior guard, averages a team-high 18.5 for the boys.

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