NFA’s Jenissa Varela is The Day’s All-Area Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year
NFA coach Courtney Gomez brands Jenissa Varela one of the best point guards in Wildcats history ... and she’d know
Courtney Gomez has a unique perspective on both the Norwich Free Academy girls' basketball program and what makes a great point guard, as she is the Wildcats' current head coach and former point guard. Gomez believes that NFA senior point guard Jenissa Varela is among the program's best ever at that position.
"I think she truly established herself as one of the NFA great point guards," said Gomez, who also played at the Division I level at the
University of Hartford.
"If you watched the way she plays, and anyone that has known the history of NFA basketball, she's very unique. She's very different in the slew of NFA great point guards.
"We had Saona Chapman who did it all. She could shoot. She could score. She could defend.
You had Marci Glenney.
I was part of the point guard mix. We were all from different eras. But
Jenissa, her quickness and her court awareness, her ability to pass with both hands, the fact that she could literally break down any defender with one small move, nothing fancy, just a small hesitation drop step, it was pretty fun to watch."
Varela was the engine that drove the Wildcats this season. The four-year starter helped them to a perfect 13-0 season, an Eastern Connecticut Conference South Division tournament championship and the No. 1 ranking in the final GameTimeCT/New Haven Register poll.
Varela has added to her senior year accolades by being selected as The Day's 2021 All-Area Girls' Basketball Player of the Year.
"I cannot imagine her not being in the same conversation as some of the NFA great point guards," Gomez said,
“I cannot imagine her not being in the same conversation as some of the NFA great point guards. ... Her assist-toturnover ratio (3.88), she barely made mistakes out there.” COURTNEY GOMEZ, NFA COACH
"even though the (game-to-game) score tally isn't the same (as some other NFA teams). Her assist-to-turnover ratio (3.88), she barely made mistakes out there."
Varela steered the Wildcats even though she was one of a number of players that, on any given night, could take over a game. She led the Wildcats in minutes (24.8 mpg) and averaged 15.8 points, 5.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 steals. She averaged just 1.3 turnovers.
Varela was selected to the Connecticut High School Coaches' Association Class LL all-state team along with teammate Sarah Ericson. She was also chosen to the prestigious GameTimeCT/New Haven Register all-state first team. She received a scholarship to play at Division II Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, Delaware.
Varela's biggest contribution to the team may have been what she did both on and off the court.
"Leadership," Varela said when asked about her senior year goals. "Courtney always tried to implement that leadership into me especially since I'm not one to try to, I don't know, over-project my voice.
"She needed that leadership. It was kind of a struggle for me, but I think this year I did better with that. Just having more confidence in myself was another big piece, too."
Varela was part of the Wildcats' senior quartet of Anajah Ingram, Cassidy White and Ericson, the program's pied pipers for their younger teammates.
"I think even junior year she started to show (vocal leadership) a little bit," said Ericson, Varela's best friend. "She really, as a point guard, led the way. Me and Anajah followed her lead . ... She was really our leader the whole way."
Gomez said: "(Varela) and I really worked hard on putting internal pressures aside because she puts a lot of pressure on herself. She has a high standard for herself and I love that about her, but we worked a lot on putting that aside for the greater good of the team.
"Like it or not, the team truly, truly played how Jenissa played. When her energy was high at the gym at practice, we had a great practice. If her energy wasn't high at practice, it wasn't a great practice and I think at the beginning that scared her.
"This year she really wanted that and she knew that her leadership and her presence was really important, more important than the coach, more important than anything . ... To handle it so gracefully and obviously so greatly was really, really cool to see. It helps that she had a pretty good surrounding cast this year and she was really close with Sarah and Anajah and Cassidy."
The friendship between that foursome was another key to NFA's season. Varela said they developed a strong bond this year. They're playing tennis for the Wildcats this spring, even though Ericson is the only one who had ever played the sport, just so they could to continue to be together.
Varela and White have been playing doubles together.
"I love Cassidy so much," Varela said. "She's always been my positive voice. She knows when I'm struggling and just knows how to pick me up and is always there for everyone.
"Anajah, I've been playing with since eighth grade. I think she's grown a lot and I'm really proud of her. And then there's Sarah Ericson. She's my best friend. Our friendship on and off the court has always been really good."