Ladyjackets basketball poised to play

By ZENDA FARREL | Milton Independent Sports Writer

Mike Lefebvre is no stranger to the basketball courts and he returns for another season to guide the Ladyjackets, assisted this year by Jim Deuell and Jim Hartin.

The team is home to sophomores Brittaney Rice, Mallory Machia, Stephanie Bull, Kaitlin Geary; juniors Courtney Pidgeon, Stephanie Boyd, Michelle Nichols; seniors Heather Little, Andrea Deuell, Lauren Ball, Jordan Trombly and Ashleigh Adams. The team manager is Rachel Branco.

Varsity Girls' Basketball: (back row, L-R) Rachel Branco, Michelle Nichols, Stephanie Boyd, Courtney Pidgeon, Stephanie Bull, Kaitlin Geary, Ashleigh Adams; (front row, L-R) Lauren Ball, Heather Little, Jordan Trombly, Brittany Bull, Andrea Deuell.

Last season ended with a loss in the semi-finals to Lamoille Union High School, the eventual state champions but eight players from that semi-finalist team are back. The returning players along with the new varsity players are determined to return to Barre for a different outcome this time. If early season scrimmages are any indication, this is a very realistic goal. A round robin against Lebanon, NH, BFA St.Albans, Essex High School, Lake Region and Spaulding showed that the Ladies will be competitive as they played very well in each scrimmage. The team also scrimmaged against Enosburg, a perennial D-3 contender with several outstanding players, last week. After getting off to a slow start, the game turned around in the second half with balanced scoring from Milton defense.

This is what Lefebvre has to say about the team members:

Jordan Trombly - senior guard and co-captain: “This is Jordan’s 3rd year on the varsity team. She is very quick and it sometimes looks like there is a 6th player on the court. Jordan strives for perfection and always gives the team her all. She gets to the basket well and can finish strong and can hit the foul shots for a 3 point play. Jordan’s aggressiveness on defense will cause a lot of problems for the other team.”

Andrea Deuell – senior guard: “This is Andrea’s 3rd year on the varsity team. She is one of the best ball handlers in our league and her strength is deceiving. She has the arm strength to make the full court pass against pressing defenses and she is our top assister from last year’s team. She sees the floor well and has unlimited range with her shot. Andrea is a key player for Milton when the opposition is pressuring full court.”

Lauren Ball – senior guard: “This is Lauren’s 4th year on the varsity team. She is the complete player; she plays excellent defense and passes extremely well. She has hit a very high percentage of her shots over the last 3 years. She is very quick defensively and is at her best when the pressure is on.”

Ashleigh Adams – senior forward: “This is Ashleigh’s 3rd year on the varsity team. She is an incredible athlete and her skills have really blossomed over the summer. Ashley is a strong rebounder who can score from the inside or from around the perimeter. Her quickness on defense will be a big plus for the team this year.”

Heather Little – senior guard and co-captain: “This is Heather’s 3rd year on the varsity team. She is a solid all around player, a good decision maker with the ball and she anticipates very well. She is a premier outside shooter and has proven time and time again that she can make the clutch shot. Heather has improved her speed and quickness which will help the team in defense this year.”

Courtney Pidgeon – junior forward: “This is Courtney’s third year on the varsity team. She is a force around the basket and our top rebounder from last year’s team, as well as the player we rely on to defend the other team’s big girl. Courtney is fast and anticipates the pass very well. She starts the fast break and a lot of times finishes it, too.”

Michelle Nichols – junior guard: “This is Michelle’s firstyear on the varsity team. She is a very calm and under control type of player. She sees the court well and makes great decisions. She shoots well from the perimeter and pressure does not bother her. Michelle can handle the ball and play good defense. She will fit in well with the returning players.”

Stephanie Boyd – junior forward: “This is Stephanie’s first year on the varsity team. She has worked hard this summer and it shows. She is very aggressive offensively, attacks the basket and gets to the foul line. She also works hard on defense and we will be looking for Stephanie to rebound for us which gives us another offensive weapon around the basket. She will fit in well with the returning players.”

Kaitlin Geary – sophomore forward: “This is Kaitlin’s second year on the varsity team. She is a pure shooter who will give the team a lot of scoring. She is one of the fastest players on the team and will finish the fast break or hit the outside shot. Kaitlin can catch any pass and convert it quickly into an assist or points for her team.”

Brittany Rice – sophomore guard: “This is Brittany’s second year on the varsity team. Brittany is very fast and her intensity around the basket creates havoc for the other team. Brittany has worked very hard this summer on her skills and her improvement is very noticeable to everyone. She will be an impact player both offensively and defensively for the team this year.”

Stephanie Bull – sophomore forward: “This is Stephanie’s first year on the varsity team. She has great speed and her athletic ability will cause a lot of problems for the other teams. She has been improving with each practice this year. She is very strong defensively and can finish on the fast break. Stephanie will fit in nicely with our fast break offense.”

Mallory Machia – sophomore guard: “This is Mallory’s first year on the varsity team. She is a very tough, strong guard and when she gets her hands on the ball, no one will take it away from her. She has good skills and can make plays because she sees her teammates well. Mallory gives us another scoring threat from the outside. She will fit in well with the returning players.”

The Ladyjackets season begins this Wednesday, December 5 with a home game against Winooski.

Go Ladyjackets!!