Girls Prep Basketball Previews: West Vigo hopes to continue last year’s progression, have breakthrough season

By Andy Amey

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.