Terrific transformation

Janelle DeVaul stations herself under the basket, her elbows instinctively deployed, her shoulders square to the hoop, her eyes on the ball.

By BY BOB PUTNAM Times Staff Writer
Published January 11, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Martha Rial] Senior Janelle DeVaul has helped Keswick Christian be a contender in Class 2A, District 11.

Janelle DeVaul stations herself under the basket, her elbows instinctively deployed, her shoulders square to the hoop, her eyes on the ball.

She is ready to battle for offensive position.

With knees slightly bent and her long arms outstretched, the 6-foot Keswick Christian post player stakes out her spot, pushing and pressing until her opponent is out of the paint.

Among small, private schools, DeVaul has become one of the county's most irresistible forces, as well as one of the most immovable objects.

She is second in the county in scoring 17.5 points per game and rebounding (12.8).

"Janelle has really come a long way," Keswick coach Karrmayne King said. "She has all the tools. The biggest thing we had to do was instill confidence in her."

When she arrived on campus four years ago, DeVaul was a shy player still trying to master the complex choreography of becoming a low-post artist.

"For some reason, I didn't think I could be as good as the other players who were here," DeVaul said. "I would get so frustrated that I would actually quit on the court when I missed a shot."

But DeVaul kept working and is now a pivoting, pump-faking human instructional video around the basket.

"She's always had a drive to make herself better," King said of DeVaul. "She always is the first one in here shooting."

DeVaul also is working on becoming a more vocal leader.

"I knew I had to be more of a communicator on the floor, especially since I'm the captain," she said. "We lost four seniors from last year, and it's been up to me to help the team out, whether it's scoring or rebounding."

Her play is a big reason Keswick (10-7) is in position to earn the No. 2 seed in Class 2A, District 11 and a spot in the Bay Conference game.

"You don't see a lot of that anymore, where a kid transforms themselves in four years and becomes a team leader," King said. "And I still think Janelle's best basketball is ahead of her. She'll be a steal for someone at the next level."

TURNAROUND TEAM: Clearwater Central Catholic coach Celia Slater, who took over the program this summer, knew it was going to be all but impossible to right things in a single season. And she knew it would take longer than that to turn a struggling team around and accumulate enough good players to be a contender.

But the long-term goals do not seem that long anymore.

The Marauders have won four in a row, including victories against Seminole and Keswick Christian.

"We were basically starting from scratch," Slater said. "We just needed some patience."

With a young lineup that includes three freshmen starters, CCC has relied on holdovers, such as Annie Rodriguez and Mary Jane Jachens for scoring and Sam Smith for rebounding. The Marauders also got a boost when Tabitha Geary joined the team in early December.

"Those girls have helped take the pressure off some of the freshmen," Slater said.

The thing Slater wants is a mix of selfless stars and steady role players, youthful exuberance and veteran savvy.

"We're starting to develop some consistency and we're playing as a team," Slater said. "We just have to keep it going."

Bob Putnam can be reached at putnam@sptimes.com or ( 727) 445-4169

Fast Facts: Super Seven

1. Clearwater (18-1): The Tornadoes cruised to easy wins against East Lake and Tarpon Springs this week and play their final home game of the regular season Friday against Palm Harbor University.

2. Boca Ciega (16-3): The Pirates finally get back on the court tonight after a 13-day layoff.

3. St. Petersburg Catholic (14-4): The Barons' win streak continues with a convincing victory against West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman last week.

4. Lakewood (13-5): The Spartans have their calenders circled for Jan. 19, when they host Boca Ciega.

5. St. Petersburg (12-5): Big win against Sickles all but assures the Green Devils of the No. 2 seed in their district.

6. Dunedin (12-6): The Falcons rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Largo on Tuesday and are waiting for a showdown with Clearwater next week.

7. Palm Harbor U. (13-7): The Hurricanes have fared well against some of the small, private school teams in the county.

Stats

Scoring

Chaplin, SPC 16 287 17.9

DeVaul, Kes 18 315 17.5

Stephens, BC 19 300 15.8

Robinson, DH 14 206 14.7

Williams, BC 19 264 13.9

Panty, IRC 17 230 13.5

Carl, SPC 16 206 12.9

Hodupp, Kes 15 162 10.8

St. Louis, IRC 12 126 10.5

Rebounds

Chaplin, SPC 16 218 13.6

DeVaul, Kes 18 203 12.8

Monti, IRC 19 211 11.1

St. Louis, IRC 12 133 11.1

Stenfors, BC 19 145 7.6

Wozniak, Kes 17 109 6.4

Assists

Janicki, SPC 15 92 6.1

Farver, IRC 12 65 5.4

Wozniak, Kes 15 85 5

Carl, SPC 16 75 4.7

[Last modified January 11, 2007, 00:40:04]