Mavericks hope to change the dynamic
St. John’s girls ready to make run for basketball title
One year can make a huge difference and that is especially true of the St. John’s girls basketball team.
After struggling last season, the Mavericks have played extremely well down the stretch, going 3-4 in the South Zone. St. John’s grabbed the South’s No. 5 seed at the Southwest Preparatory Conference Winter Championships this week in Houston.
St. John’s head coach Kathy Halligan is stunned at the transformation her squad has made over the past fewmonths.
“We have essentially the same roster and added a couple of girls, but we’ve totally changed the dynamic,” Halligan said. “Toward the middle of the season, they finally saw their potential and starting believing in eachother.”
Ignore St. John’s 7-15 record. The Mavericks, who open the tourney against North Zone No. 4 seed Episcopal School of Dallas at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, at Kinkaid’s Fondren Gym, are definitely a team to watch.
“I hope we can at least win our first game and get another shot at Kinkaid,” Halligan said.
Halligan ranks South Zone champ Kinkaid as the heavy favorite. The Falcons dominated St. John’s 72-43 in last week’s meeting.
“I thought we played well. We are hardly an explosive offensive team but we still scored 43 points,” Halligan said. “Kinkaid was just better than us.”
While Kinkaid may be better than the rest of the SPC, upsets can happen and that’s precisely what the Mavericks will try to achieve.
Regardless of the outcome, Halligan has enjoyed the season immensely.
St. John’s has gotten outstanding leadership from its three senior cocaptains – Sydney Moye, Kara Wollmers and Tenille Tubbs.
Moye, a 5-foot-7 point guard, has been large presence for the Mavericks, averaging 10 points, nearly four assists and three steals.
“Sydney is only 5-7, 120 pounds, but no one outcompetes her,” Halligan said.
Wollmers, an undersized 5-9 forward, has delivered almost eight points and seven rebounds, is another overachiever.
“Kara is long and lean, but she holds her own against bigger players,” Halligan said.
Meanwhile, Tubbs has missed most of the season after dislocating her knee cap.
Several other players have stepped up in Tubbs’ absence, according to Halligan.
Senior Gabby Otey, a 5-7 guard/forward, is the leading scorer with 12 points per game. Two freshmen – 5-11 forward Gabby Long (nine points, six rebounds) and 5-7 shooting guard Alexandra Lewis (three points, three rebounds, two steals) – have contributed. Long hit three 3-pointers and tallied a team-high 20 points against Kinkaid.
The first players off the bench include 5-7 junior guard Carson Copeland, 5-10 junior forward Caroline Johnson and 5-7 senior forward Na ly ah Johnson.
Other reserves are 5-5 senior guard Caroline Ankoma-Sey, 5-7 senior guard Jessica Vlasek, 5-4 junior guard Camila Chabayta, 5-3 freshmen point guard Amelie Perrier and5-8 freshman guard/ forward Lena McZeal.
In other tourney action, South Zone No. 4 seed Houston Christian will face Fort Worth All Saints, the North Zone’s No. 5 seed, in the first round at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. South Zone No. 2 seed Episcopal will take on the Austin St. Andrew’s-Fort Worth Trinity Valley winner in the quarterfinals at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12. Both games will be at Fondren Gym.
The semifinals are scheduled for the evening of Friday, Feb. 12, at Kinkaid’s Melcher Gym, with the finals at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at Houston Christian. Soccer field tough
The St. John’s boys soccer team netted the South Zone’s No. 3 seed at the SPC tourney at Episcopal. The Mavericks will face Oklahoma Casady, the North Zone’s No. 6 seed, at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, at Simmons Field.
St. John’s head coach Ziad Allan believes his squad has a chance after going 2-1-4 in the South.
“The only team to beat us was Kinkaid and it was 1-0. We were in every game,” said Allan, noting that St. John’s gave up no more than a single goal in its seven conference contests.
Allan said the Mavericks’ main weakness has been generating offense, something St. John’s must figure out this week.
“We’ve been in position to score goals, but we’ve had trouble finishing,” Allan said.
There are no issues with the Mavericks’ defense anchored by senior captains Joe Faraguna and Philip Kensinger. Faraguna, the sweeper, and Kensinger, the goalkeeper, are joined by the fullbacks, junior Connor Watson and sophomore John Boom.
St. John’s is young, especially a midfield featuring juniors Hayden Simmons and Owen Torczon, sophomore Lucas Tyler and freshman Sam Faraguna.
The Mavericks also start juniors Max Blekham and Matthew Garnett at forward.
Allan considers Episcopal, the No. 2 seed from the South, as the favorite. The Knights got a bye and will face the Irving Cistercian-Austin St. Stephen’s winner in the quarterfinals at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12, at Brown Field.
Houston Christian, the South Zone’s No. 5 seed, opens against Episcopal School of Dallas at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, in the first round at Brown Field. If the Mustangs prevail, they’ll get South Zone champ Kinkaid in quarterfinals at noon Friday, Feb. 12, at Simmons Field.
The semifinals will be the evening of Friday, Feb. 12, while the championship game will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, all at Simmons Field. Trophies up for grabs
St. John’s could be in contention for a few more titles this week at the SPC Championships.
The Mavericks to claim their third wrestling crownin four years on Saturday, Feb. 13, at St. John’s Liu Court.
St. John’s boys and girls should earn high finishes at the SPC swimming and diving meet on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Conroe ISD Natatorium in Shenandoah.