Prep season begins with four coaching changes
Four of the six prep school girls’ basketball teams in The Trentonian’s coverage area will have new varsity head coaches this season.
Hun, Lawrenceville, Pennington and Stuart Country Day will be under new leadership, while Peddie’s Kurt Bennett and Princeton Day School’s Seraphine Hamilton will enter their third seasons.
Carmen Cook, formerly of Voorhees High, takes the reigns at Pennington, 2021-22’s most successful prep school in Mercer County in its one season under Scott O’Neil.
The Red Hawks, who went 20-4 and won the New Jersey Independent Schools Athletics Association Prep B crown last winter, may not have as many weapons as they did a year ago, but they still have standouts like 5-foot-6 senior guard Macayla Rodriguez, 5-11 junior guard Morgan Matthews (the top prep scorer at 19.7 points per game) and 5-7 sophomore guard Izzy Augustine to keep their attack dangerous.
“We’re very excited,” Cook said. “The girls have been working very hard. Right now, I’m trying to get them to be a little more defensiveminded.”
Sean Costello, who had coached at the Shipley School and in the college ranks at Appalachian State and Belmont University, became coAthletics Director and head girls’ basketball coach at Hun when Bill Holup stepped away after last season’s 15-11 campaign took the Raiders to the finals of the Mid-Atlantic Prep League Tournament and the NJISAA Prep A Tournament before losing to powerhouse Blair Academy.
Costello will have 5-10 senior forward Sasha Moise and a new Irish import in 5-8 postgraduate guard Emily O’Dwyer to direct a relatively green, but talented squad.
“The team looks good. We’re getting there,” said Costello, who wants his club to be comfortable with an up-tempo style. “Our new players should be able to help out immediately.”
Tripp Welborne is another Athletics Director taking over the girls’ team at the Lawrenceville School, where Grey Simpson had coached the last four seasons.
After going 8-12 in 2021-22, the Big Red will not have any seniors this year, but have a talented group of underclass players eager to learn and grow, including 5-6 junior guard Anna O’Keefe, 5-7 junior guard Hayla Dora and 5-11 junior center Avery Ottaway.
“Everyone’s excited about the season,” Welborne said. “As long as we can compete, we’ll do all right. This year, we’ll be defensiveminded, and we’ll need to rebound by committee. Everyone can hustle, so the girls will have to utilize their athleticism.”
Tony Bowman returns to a team he previously coached when he takes over at Stuart Country Day School, where Justin Leith had been head coach for the last eight seasons.
The Tartans, who went 8-8 last winter, will once again be without a player taller than 5-foot-10, yet has experience with returnees like 5-8 senior forward Emily Ix, 5-6 junior guard Leila Washington (13.8 ppg) and 5-7 junior guard Isabel Milley.
“I’ve seen strives,” said Bowman, who last coached Stuart in 2011. “The girls are working hard, learning and getting better. We’re a work in progress. We’ll do the best we can.”
Bennett’s Peddie squad will kick off prep play locally when it hosts the seventh annual Peddie School Tip-Off Tournament this weekend. Play begins Friday with Hun, Peddie and Pennington all taking part.
The Falcons, who won five games a year ago, including one in its tourney, will count on senior leadership from six-foot swing Sydnee Eggleton (14.8 ppg) and six-foot forward Grace Browne.
“We’re eager to get going,” Ben- nett said. “The girls have gotten to know each other better, which pays off in their on-court chemistry.”
Hamilton’s PDS team will look a little different this season since six players graduated and a few more decided to stick with club soccer after winning six games a year ago.
Returnees like 5-8 senior guard Paige Gardner, 5-6 senior guard Paris Smith, 5-9 junior guard/forward Mia Hartman (11.6 ppg) and 5-4 junior guard Katie Zarish-Yasunas will be counted on to lead the squad once their season opener rolls around Thursday, Dec. 15 at home against Princeton High.
“We have a solid core,” Hamilton said. “The front end of our season, there will be a bit of a curve, knowing that the girls are still learning about our plays and expectations. But I think we’ll be all right.”