6 FEBRUARY 1, 2004
Smoke Signals
Lady Bulldogs "Playing Extremely Well"
By Ron Karten
"We've been playing extremely well," said Lady
Bulldogs' Head Coach Jerry Grant. The girls are
tied for first in the West Valley League with Dayton,
Amity and Westside Christian.
As the season winds down, the team is 14-2 with a
7-1 record within the league. The 2A Coaches Poll
ranked the team 8th in the state, but big games with
Amity and Dayton still lay ahead for the team.
With three sets
of sisters the
Zimbricks, who
are Tribal mem
bers, the Wilsons
and the
Chewnings all
back from last year, leading the team, Grant said,
"We've got great depth. We've got 10 kids that can
play and I play them all."
Senior Caitlin Zimbrick, playing post, is "having
a great year," said her coach. "There are times when
she has really carried our team." She is averaging
14 points, 18 rebounds, three steals and four blocks
a game.
Sophomore Meghan Zimbrick, playing post, is back
from an ankle injury and many missed games. "She
keeps getting better every game," said Grant, cred
iting her with averaging four points and eight re
bounds a game. "It takes a while to get the rust off,"
he said.
Junior Shalise Holsclaw, also playing post, "has
really been a surprise," said Grant. Averaging eight
points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks a
game, Grant said, "She does everything for us. It's
CD
great when we have two good Posts at the
same time."
Latisia Ayala, a senior guard, is "a fireplug,"
said Grant. "She comes off the bench and
she really sparks our defense. She makes
things happen for us. Ayala is averaging five
points and four steals a game.
Brittni Wilson, a sophomore guard, is usu
ally the first
person off the
bench," said
Grant. "A
very solid
player," she
is averaging
almost 7 points a game, five rebounds and
three steals. "She just comes in and does a
great job for us."
Breann Wilson, a senior guard, is averag
ing three points and three assists, "which is
a little disappointing for her," said Grant, "but
she does so many other things for us that we don't
need her to score a lot of points." Among her assets,
said Grant, Wilson "does such a great job of run
ning our offense and getting us into our fast break."
And Grant "can't say enough" about those
Chewning sisters. Crislyn, a senior wing, averages
nine points a game, six steals and five rebounds.
"Both she and Caitlyn anticipate so well," said
Grant. "They get their hands on so many basket
balls that they cause problems for the other team.
Caitlyn, a junior wing, is averaging seven points,
four steals and six rebounds.
Nice Pass Tribal memberJanelLara,44,
passes the ball to teammate Letisia Ayala during a
game with the Gaston Greyhounds on January 20.
The team has had an "incredible number of steals"
this year, said Grant. In one game, the Lady Dawgs
stole the ball 40 times; in another, 33.
"We love to pressure teams defensively and offen
sively," said Grant. "That pressure does amazing
things to teams."
Grant said that the team "has a real good shot at
the championship, but it's going to be a dogfight."
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dS Mr'
Tough Defense Up and coming Junior Varsity guard
Brandi Shell eyes her opponent during the game, which the
Lady Dawgs won.
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Photos by Peta Tinda
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Team Summit Head Coach Jerry Grant discusses
strategy with the first place Willamina girls basketball team.
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In Traffic Tribal member Caitlin Zimbrick 14, goes up for a shot over the head of Sara Steele of Gaston. The 6 foot 1 inch Zimbrick is having a great year
averaging 1 4 points, 1 8 rebounds, three steals and four blocks a game.
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