Progress for West Vigo High School girls basketball hasn’t come as quickly as coach Ryan Easton had hoped or expected it would, but it has still been progress.
This year there should be more — with a little luck, maybe even a breakthrough year.
The Vikings weren’t particularly lucky last year, especially in the injury department, and were 4-16. That was still progress, however, as many wins as the three previous Viking teams combined.
Injuries are already affecting a couple of players who could provide a lot of help this winter, but both could be back by the end of the season. And by that time, a nucleus of players that has both size and experience might welcome a little more help for a late-season surge.
The Viking roster includes 14 players, but nine of those are also listed on the junior varsity roster.
“Our quantity is down a little, but our quality is up,” Easton said.
The five varsity-only players are probably a good start in figuring out the Vikings’ prospects for the 2009-2010 season and seem to complement each other well.
Two of them are the team’s only seniors: 5-9 Marianne Umphries, the most experienced of the Vikings and a four-year contributor, and 5-9 Karen Beal, one of the team’s better outside shooters in addition to having the strength to help inside.
“Karen and Marianne do a great job of leading,” Easton pointed out recently.
The other three are sophomores, as are quite a few of the Vikings. Joining Beal and Umphries up front will be 5-10 Erin Barton — an eventual double-double threat, Easton believes — while 5-6 Cassidy Carlson and 5-3 Brooklyn Waters are a good backcourt. Waters, whose freshman season was too brief because of injury last year, has proven to be a strong, aggressive ball handler and Carlson a dangerous spot-up shooter.
The team’s only two juniors didn’t play a year ago but one of them, 5-6 Alicyn Woodward, is one of the school’s best female athletes who should be able to contribute in several ways.
The other junior, 5-10 Michaela Kaperak, is one of the Vikings currently on the injured list. She and 5-7 sophomore Jorden Brown may not be available for awhile — Brown perhaps not until the final month of the season — but will add to the team’s depth eventually.
“We just have two seniors and two juniors,” Easton noted, “but we have four or five sophomores who already have good experience … and a couple of the freshmen may get playing time sooner than they thought they would.”
The two current ninth-graders the coach referred to are 5-5 Ciara McClain and 5-6 Abby VanGilder. They are very much in the mix for playing time along with four more sophomores — 5-6 Mikaela Silcock, 5-4 Anna Soliday, 5-5 Allyson Walters and 5-4 Leslee Walters; the latter two are twins.
All of them, Easton stressed, are capable of making positive varsity contributions this year.
“They’re great kids, and every year the team’s basketball IQ goes up,” he said. “Things are looking up, but it comes down to the girls. Their work level is fantastic.”
Easton made no won-loss prediction, but said, “By the end of the season, we could be pretty good … I’m apprehensively optimistic.”
West Vigo schedule
Thursday — Owen Valley in HI-99/Terre Haute Savings Bank Classic, 7:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday — HI-99/Terre Haute Savings Bank Classic, TBA
Nov. 17 — At White River Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 — South Putnam, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 1 — Sullivan (WIC), 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4 — South Vermillion (WIC), 6 p.m.
Dec. 5 — Owen Valley (WIC), 6 p.m.
Dec. 11 — Northview (WIC), 6 p.m.
Dec. 17 — At Terre Haute North, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 19 — At Brown County (WIC), 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 2 — At Franklin Tournament, TBA
Jan. 7 — Shakamak, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 11 — At Cloverdale, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 14 — At North Vermillion, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 16 — At Marshall (Ill.), 2:30 p.m.
Jan. 26 — At Riverton Parke, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 29 — At Edgewood (WIC), 6 p.m.
Feb. 2 — Terre Haute South, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 4 — At Covington, 7:30 p.m.
WIC — denotes Western Indiana Conference game
West Vigo roster
Player Ht. Yr.
Karen Beal 5-9 Sr.
Marianne Umphries 5-9 Sr.
Michaela Kaperak 5-10 Jr.
Alicyn Woodward 5-6 Jr.
Erin Barton 5-10 So.
Jorden Brown 5-7 So.
Cassidy Carlson 5-6 So.
Mikaela Silcock 5-6 So.
Anna Soliday 5-4 So.
Allyson Walters 5-5 So.
Leslee Walters 5-4 So.
Brooklyn Waters 5-3 So.
Ciara McClain 5-5 Fr.
Abby VanGilder 5-6 Fr.
High School
Girls Prep Basketball Previews: West Vigo hopes to continue last year’s progression, have breakthrough season
- High School
-
-
South’s Lough to wrestle for state title
The day didn’t start in a promising fashion for Wabash Valley high school wrestlers at the Evansville Semistate in Ford Center on Saturday — but it got better as it went along.
-
TERRE HAUTE NORTH SECTIONAL: Mooresville tops South for fourth straight title
For Terre Haute South High School girls basketball fans, it might sound good that the Braves did not miss a shot in the first four minutes of their Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional championship game Saturday.
-
BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan rebounds from tough start for title
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Sullivan struggled mightily in the first half, eerily reminiscent of its eventual elimination in the final seconds of overtime by Edgewood in last year’s Class 3A girls basketball sectional. -
CLAY CITY SECTIONAL: Eels take third straight sectional crown
Clay City stood up to the pressure and to the Shakamak Lakers on Saturday night to win a third straight Class A sectional championship in the Eel Dome.
-
NORTH VERMILLION SECTIONAL: Twenty years in the waiting
The Super Bowl came to a new city. A presidential election was ongoing. And Riverton Parke won a girls basketball sectional.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Rox clinch WRC
Class A No. 8-ranked Rockville knocked off Attica 50-35 in boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon, clinching the Wabash River Conference championship in the process.
-
THN SECTIONAL: Braves to play Mooresville for sectional title tonight
Terre Haute South continued to show what’s new and Terre Haute North unfortunately reverted back to what’s old in Class 4A high school girls basketball sectional action Friday night at North.
-
OWEN VALLEY SECTIONAL: Eagles bring Vikes down to earth
Baby steps. A baby takes that first step and grins, then attempts the second step and tumbles. The West Vigo High School girls took their first step with a victory Tuesday night in the Class 3A basketball sectional at Owen Valley.
-
BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan jumps to early lead in sectional victory
Sullivan jumped out to a 9-0 lead and were never threatened in a dominant 48-25 win over Eastern Greene in a semifinal game of the Class 2A Bloomfield girls basketball sectional inside Glover Gymnasium on Friday.
-
North Vermillion Sectional: Panthers, Falcons to meet for NV title
Outstanding defense and quality passing landed Riverton Parke in the championship game of the Class A North Vermillion Sectional. The Panthers will have to get through the host school tonight in order to secure the program’s first sectional crown since 1992.
-
South swimmers don’t advance at Finals
Terre Haute South’s trip to the IHSAA girls swimming state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium was a short one Friday night.
-
South runs into talented North Central team
Terre Haute South players and coaches knew when they got off the bus Saturday afternoon that they couldn’t run with the Class 4A No. 3-ranked Indianapolis North Central Panthers.
But they tried anyway. -
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Duncan’s OT free throws help Marshall down H-P
Jacob Duncan hit four free throws in overtime Friday night as visiting Marshall defeated Hutsonville-Palestine 51-49 in Little Illini Conference action.
-
O'Leary pours in career-high 34 for Terre Haute North
Matt O’Leary poured in a career-high 34 points, 17 in each half, to lead Terre Haute North to a dominant 69-46 home victory over Center Grove in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon.
-
Davis hits layup in double overtime to lift Terre Haute North at Bloomington North
Playing without their two leading scorers against a team that — most of the time — seemed more determined to win than they did, Terre Haute North's Patriots got a driving layup from Steven Davis with 2.8 seconds left in the second overtime to escape Bloomington North with a 54-52 win in high school basketball Thursday night.
-
Sullivan stays on top of WIC for third straight year
Western Indiana Conference boys basketball teams have been trying to storm the Sullivan castle for three years now. The Golden Arrows have endured nearly every kind of strategy in the effort to breech their wall. West Vigo tried a few more on Thursday in a showdown for the WIC championship.
-
South girls looking for solid performances at swimming state finals
One individual and one relay team, which includes that same individual, will represent Terre Haute South in the IHSAA girls swimming state finals today and possibly Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Cesinger, Jones each score 24 in Clay City win
Blake Cesinger and Brylan Jones poured in 24 points apiece to lead visiting Clay City over North Central 67-53 in SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference boys high school basketball Thursday night.
-
Teutopolis knocks off record-setting Marshall girls in regional championship
Marshall jumped ahead 4-0 only to watch Teutopolis score the next 11 points Thursday in the championship game of the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
-
Sullivan wins battle in low post
Sullivan dominated the low block at both ends of the court Wednesday to defeat South Knox 43-30.
-
State wrestling berths won't come easily
If high school wrestlers thought regional competition was tough last weekend, they can expect the competition, as Keegan Michael Key used to say on MADtv, taken to “a whole notha level” on Saturday.
-
South pulls upset
Plainfield’s 16-5 record made the Quakers the team to beat in the Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional.
-
Vikings break long sectional drought
You’ll have to forgive West Vigo for celebrating just a wee bit prior to the postgame handshake with South Vermillion, but its first victory in a sectional game in 11 years was worthy of celebrating.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: RP rolls past Attica
Riverton Parke jumped to a 20-point halftime lead and easily defeated Attica 59-34 in the Class A North Vermillion girls basketball sectional on Tuesday.
-
They’re the pride of Marshall
With a 24-1 record, coach Kathy Miller’s Marshall team earned the top seed in the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
-
Union season more fun with Talpas around
The Union boys basketball team has had its share of fun moments in the past, arguably the most fun being its Class A state runner-up in 2000.
-
Injury bug follows girls into postseason
Who’s healthy is the question at least three of the four teams will be asking tonight when Class 4A girls high school basketball sectional play begins at Terre Haute North.
-
Rockville needs late run to stop West Vigo
It was a game of fits and starts, but host Rockville finally overcame a stiff challenge from visiting West Vigo in a 53-46 victory in boys high basketball action on Saturday.
-
Northview holds off Plainfield
Northview got its sixth victory in boys high school basketball action Saturday night, defeating Plainfield 59-56.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Cloverdale helps Rady to career win No. 714
Brandon Dorman and Joe Fidler combined for 37 points and six 3-pointers Saturday night as visiting Cloverdale defeated Turkey Run 63-45 in boys high school basketball.
- More High School Headlines
-
South’s Lough to wrestle for state title
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Coroner: Houston Autopsy Results Weeks Away
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
Raw Video: Whitney Houston's Last Performance
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Fans 'Speechless' Over Houston's Death
Snow Strands Italian Towns
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Video of M.I.A's Obscene Halftime Gesture
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Today in History for Tuesday, February 12th
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48
Stocks Fall Sharply As Greek Deal Is Held Up
Adele's revealing "60 Minutes" interview
Exclusive Video: Bobbi Kristina Leaving Hospital
Lusetich: AT&T Recap
Raw Video: Aurora Borealis As Seen From Space
2012 Grammys: Rihanna
2.12: Pebble Beach Pro-Am -- Phil Mickelson
2012 Grammys: Taylor Swift
Exclusive Video - Whitney's Bodybag
FUEL TV: Punk Payback Gym tips
Whitney's Final Days - EXCLUSIVE
Romney Tops Santorum in CPAC Straw Poll
First glimpse of Blue Ivy Carter
Angry Dad Shoots Teens Laptop
Peek inside Barbie's closet
Absolute Lin-sanity
Madonna's Daughter Shaves Head
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
