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By GREG AUMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 21, 2000
BROOKSVILLE -- Three teams. Two new coaches. One new district alignment that puts all three schools together.
What it adds up to is anyone's guess.
How surprising could this season be?
Consider first-year Springstead coach Whit Campbell, who had directed the Eagles' junior varsity team the past four years.
Having worked with everyone on roster, you would think he knew what he had ahead of him.
When preseason practice began, however, Campbell discovered he had an unexpected assistant coach at his disposal. Evelene VanKirk had been hired as the girls coach at St. Cloud High School before her fiance, Scott Bennett, was hired as Springstead's boys coach.
VanKirk, 27, has so impressed Campbell in the first weeks of practice that he said they essentially will be co-coaches.
"She's phenomenal," said the 53-year-old Campbell, a retired lieutenant colonel who spent 23 years as an Air Force pilot and now directs Springstead's ROTC program.
"She and I have agreed on every single thing we've talked about," Campbell said. "She's been dynamic, lending a new kind of enthusiasm to the program. It's the best thing that's happened to me so far."
Campbell said the Eagles will be a well-disciplined team, not so much because of his military background but because of the attitudes his players have brought to this season.
He's not surprised, but simply grateful.
"I'm very lucky, in that this is an absolutely phenomenal bunch of kids," Campbell said.
"I don't have the problems a lot of other coaches have. I know they're going to show up for practice and work hard. I only wish they all were 6-foot-4."
While not towering, the Eagles have a veteran front court in senior center Lisa Jones, junior power forward Samantha Hunt and junior Roe Finlayson, who can play both positions.
Seniors Meagan Batchelor and Jackie Ulasewich lead the back court on a roster that has five seniors and seven juniors. Most of the roster was on Campbell's 1998-99 JV team that finished with a 19-1 mark.
Two years ago, Springstead and Hernando were at opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Eagles finished their season with four wins. The Leopards ended up in the state final four.
The gap narrowed last year, with Springstead winning 11 games and Hernando clearly the top team in the county with a 20-8 record.
Hernando has the county's top player in 6-1 junior forward Bernice Mosby, who has the long arms to block shots inside and the athleticism to step outside and show a developing range offensively.
"She's going to get a mismatch wherever she is," said first-year coach Rodney Byrd, who replaced Walt Cermak, who retired in March after 18 seasons.
"She can play inside, and she'll have a size advantage on anyone in the perimeter," Byrd said.
Byrd lost the starting back court from last year's district championship squad, but he will be looking to sophomores Kristi Langworthy and Christina Benoay to split duties at point guard.
The top offensive threat at shooting guard looks to be junior Ellen Widboom, the leading scorer on Hernando's junior varsity last season.
Hernando may be the team to beat and Springstead the team to watch, but don't count out Central.
Fourth-year coach Lori Lessley has all but two players back from a Central club that started 7-2 and showed promise with a fast, energetic lineup.
The Bears return six players who spent time as starters last season, and the group bonded in 30 games this summer at two camps and league play in Pasco County.
"I don't think of them as inexperienced, none of the kids I have right now," said Lessley, whose team split two preseason games against River Ridge and Ridgewood last week. "These 10 kids mesh well together."
Center Kerry Donegan and forward Tracie Ploskonka are the top returning scorers, and much like Springstead, Central's strength may be its depth.
Last season, guards Sharesa Scott and Stacey Waters were sparks off the bench as freshmen. Twin sophomores Thalia and Tamara Tatham, promoted from the JV, should make the Bears the county's fastest team.
"I think we have more speed this year," Lessley said. "That's good, but right now we're not capitalizing on the opportunities it's creating.
"That's got to be the bottom line -- a lot of speed won't do you any good if you don't convert it to layups and turnovers and executing well."
The season starts tonight for Hernando and Springstead, and Wednesday for Central. They join Lake Weir, Lecanto, Leesburg and North Marion to form Class 4A, District 7.
The district tournament will be at Hernando on Feb. 7-9, with two of the seven teams advancing to the state playoffs.
TEAMS
CENTRAL
COACH: Lori Lessley (4th year).
LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 14-15.
KEY LOSSES: Center Michelle Fisher, whose steady double-digit scoring anchored the Bears' inside game, and point guard Afton McDermott are the only players not back from last year.
TOP RETURNEES: The team's three seniors -- guard Jennifer Waddy, forward Tracie Ploskonka and center Kerry Donegan -- all saw time as starters last season and combine for seven years of varsity experience.
TOP NEWCOMERS: The Bears have only three first-year varsity players, but twin sophomores Tamara and Thalia Tatham, who sparked Central's volleyball team, should contribute as speedy small forwards.
WHAT THE COACH SAYS: "I feel like defensively we did well last year. Offensively, we need to take better shots and capitalize on opportunities. We haven't proven that yet."
COACH: Rodney Byrd (1st year).
LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 20-8.
KEY LOSSES: Six players, including the starting backcourt of Katye Altieri and Leoneddra Stewart.
TOP RETURNEES: The entire front court returns, led by junior forward Bernice Mosby (14.7 ppg, 11.1 rpg). Seniors Stephanie Freeman and Carmen Byrd return at center and forward, respectively, giving the Leopards the county's best size and flexibility in the paint.
TOP NEWCOMER: Junior Ellen Widboom, who showed promise as an outside hitter during volleyball season, will step in at shooting guard after leading Hernando's undefeated junior varsity squad in scoring last season.
WHAT THE COACH SAYS: "We should do well. As long as we go out and play hard, I feel really confident about this team."
COACH: Whit Campbell (1st year).
LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 11-14.
KEY LOSSES: Guard Eve Swanson and forward Rose Turi are gone from last year's team, which improved from a four-win season in 1998-99.
TOP RETURNEES: The front court of Roe Finlayson, Samantha Hunt and Lisa Jones returns intact from last season on a roster teeming with veteran leadership.
TOP NEWCOMER: With five seniors and seven juniors, there aren't any surprising underclassmen to spotlight on the court. Instead, keep an eye on the first-year coaching tandem of Campbell and assistant Evelene VanKirk, who was to be the head coach at St. Cloud High School before she moved to Spring Hill with her fiance, first-year Springstead boys coach Scott Bennett.
WHAT THE COACH SAYS: "We should be real deep. I'm not going to be bothered by going to my 10th player. My second five beats the first five half the time. I think my second five can beat anybody's second five."
CENTRAL
NOVEMBER -- 22: at Crystal River, 24: at Hernando, 27: at Leesburg.
DECEMBER -- 1: at North Marion, 5: vs. South Sumter, 7: vs. Lecanto, 8: vs. Lake Weir, 13: at Hudson, 15: vs. Springstead, 22: vs. Citrus, 28: vs. Hudson.
JANUARY -- 2-3: at River Ridge Tournament, 5: vs. North Marion, 11: vs. Leesburg, 16: at Lecanto, 18: at South Sumter, 22: at Lake Weir, 24: vs. Hernando, 26: at Springstead, 29: at Citrus.
FEBRUARY -- 1: vs. Crystal River, 7-9: District Tournament.
NOVEMBER -- 21: vs. Lecanto, 22: vs. Dunnellon, 27: at South Sumter, 28: at Citrus.
DECEMBER -- 1: vs. Leesburg, 8: vs. Pasco, 9: vs. North Marion, 12: at Crystal River, 16: at Lake Weir, 18: vs. Springstead, Christmas Tournament: TBA.
JANUARY -- 4: at Dunnellon, 9: at Lecanto, 11: at Springstead, 12: vs. Lake Weir, 15: vs. South Sumter, 16: vs. Crystal River, 18: at North Marion, 23: vs. Citrus, 24: at Central, 28: at Leesburg.
FEBRUARY -- 5: at Pasco, 7-9: District Tournament.
NOVEMBER -- 21: vs. Hudson, 28: vs. Lake Weir.
DECEMBER -- 1: at Lecanto, 2: vs. North Marion, 8: at Citrus, 11: at South Sumter, 12: vs. Leesburg, 15: at Central, 18: at Hernando, 19: at Crystal River, 21: at Land O'Lakes.
JANUARY -- 2-3: at River Ridge Tournament, 5: at Lake Weir, 9: vs. Citrus, 11: vs. Hernando, 15: vs. Lecanto, 19: at Leesburg, 22: vs. Land O'Lakes, 23: at North Marion, 25: vs. South Sumter, 28: vs. Central, 29: vs. Crystal River, 31: at River Ridge.
FEBRUARY -- 1: at Hudson, 5: District Tournament.