Pirates bank on Hall for turnaround

CRYSTAL RIVER -- Wherever Brent Hall has gone, success has followed.

Just ask the Crystal River baseball team, which went to last spring's final four in its second season with Hall as coach.

After moving from the field to the hardwood, he will try to do the same with the school's girls basketball squad.

Hall has a proven game plan in place to improve last season's 7-18 record, which equaled the number of wins the baseball team had the year before he took over.

"Any great basketball historian or coach preaches defense," said Hall, who will emphasize constant pressure. "When I got into it, I decided I'm not the smartest coach that's every lived, so I'm going to go by what they say."

Senior Casandra Vega, a returning Times All-Citrus/Hernando first-team selection, said the season looks promising. After averaging nearly 14 points last year, she will be relied on heavily.

"Last year, we were not a good shooting team," Vega said. "It mostly came back to good defense, and this year we're going to be even better with defense." In his last girls basketball job, Hall led Jacksonville Arlington Country Day School to a 32-3 mark. Vega said her Crystal River teammates want the same. Though the Pirates initially were a bit intimidated by Hall, they believe in his system.

"He's a good coach," center/forward Ja'Vonna Grimsley said.

While Vega is a proven commodity, Hall said other players will have to contribute if the squad is going to be successful.

He expects big performances from 6-foot-1 post player Jennifer MacRae. Hall said Ashley Bullion is going to be a tremendous athlete, a very good player, and that Grimsley is developing quickly.

Hall said his main goal will be to motivate the Pirates to achieve the highest level of play. "We're very young, that's the one negative, if you will, but with the youth comes an exuberance," he said.

"They're very eager to learn, and they've got tremendous heart -- every single one of them -- so I feel like their heart and character can take them to great places in basketball and everything else," Hall said.

In the preseason Sharon Bomse Classic, Crystal River beat Lecanto and lost to Seven Rivers Christian by two points. Hall liked what he saw.

"We got to see everybody play. That was our objective to see all our players in game situations," Hall said. "There were a few different things we wanted to try. Some worked, some didn't, so it was a very successful, glorified practice.

"Really I'm coming into it blind. I haven't seen anyone or know who the best teams are. We're just going to have to go out and take it one game at a time."

Kristen Leigh Porter can be reached at porter@sptimes.com or 564-3628.

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