12/6/2012 - South Side Leader
     

COVENTRY — Head coach Bob McNamara said his Coventry girls basketball squad is looking for a big season this year behind the experience of the team’s five seniors.

“They have really worked hard and come a long way,” he said. “They’ve grown up together over the four years and it’s like a little family, so to speak.”

One of the team’s two senior captains is point guard Kristi Morisak.

“She is extremely hard working and a quality leader,” McNamara said. “She has been on the varsity team since I walked in the door, and she has really worked to build the team. She’s really enthusiastic. She’s a great student, as well.”

The other senior captain is small forward Alyssa Angeletti.

“She’s extremely fast. She’s been working on her shot,” the coach said. “She’s a good rebounder and a good ball-handler for a small forward. She’s a good leader for the team.”

Senior Delaney Walters plays both forward positions for Coventry.

“She’s extremely fast and she’s a major rebounder,” McNamara said. “She concentrates and works hard at rebounding. Her shot is coming along, too.”

The other seniors on the team are Talia Magestro, who plays the post, and guard Alexis Gross.

“Talia is also a very strong rebounder and can give us some offense from the inside,” the coach said. “Alexis is a very hard-working girl. She started all four years in soccer as a goalie, and she brings a lot of that hard-nosed talent to our team. She doesn’t allow people to push her around, and she’s always diving on the floor for balls.”

Also playing a key role for the team this season is sophomore three-guard Emily Cerepak.

“Emily is an extremely good shot,” the coach said. “She’s also a very good passer with quick hands.”

McNamara is in his fourth year as the team’s head coach. Last season, Coventry finished with a 5-15 overall record.

“It’s been a process since I’ve been here,” he said. “We worked real hard in the summer. The girls had a great summer, and now everyone’s thinking we’re going to have a fairly successful season.”

According to the coach, Coventry’s No. 1 goal this season is to “significantly improve” in the wins-and-losses category.

“We want to be in a situation that the girls can show off the improvement they have made,” he said. “We are a pretty balanced team, and we have developed a pretty significant amount of depth over the course of the last year and summer. As a result of that, we expect to be able to withstand the long season. We have more weapons in the arsenal than we’ve ever had, so to speak. So we’re expecting a good year. We have experience, we have senior leadership, we have some younger girls challenging for spots and we have seniors stepping up to meet the challenge. It’s a nice situation to be in.”

• WABL U10 team wins championship
• Copley tennis team places second at OTCA tourney
• Woodridge boys track team wins 2013 league title
• STVM boys track team takes home Division II state title
• West Side Scoreboard
• Green boys tennis team finishes season strong in sectionals
• South Side Scoreboard
• Injuries helped derail season for Coventry baseball team