FeedsNew and improved Rocks are young but experienced
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Salem Coach Fred Thomann watches as senior Tayler Langham blocks a shot in practice last week.Although the Salem Lady Rocks basketball team is young, it has plenty of experience to go around.
Coach Fred Thomann, in his 22 years as the girls’ head coach, will have three seniors, three juniors and four sophomores on the squad this year. Don’t be fooled by the lack of age on the team.
Teresa Coppiellie, Lauren Kurtz and Tayler Langham are all returning as seniors.
Coppiellie, a 5-foot-11 four-year varsity starter, led the Lady Rocks in points and rebounds last year. Kurtz, also 5-11 and three-year varsity starter, followed close behind in rebound stats.
Langham won a starting spot in game nine last year and made a huge contribution with her speed and athleticism, according to Thomann.
Alaya Mitchel, a three-year starter, is back as a junior. She led the team with assists and was second in scoring last season.
“Really this is a veteran team because we have four returning starters,” Thomann said. “So really this is a veteran team with a younger support group.”
Junior Megan Ward, who split time between the junior varsity and varsity teams last season, will also be back for Salem. The rest of the players—junior Brittany Miller and sophomores Jansan Falcusan, Victoria Brotz, Chelsea Davis and Jill Behrman—started as freshmen on the junior varsity team that was 19-1.
“We have a bunch of players that have some very nice credentials,” Thomann said. “Now it’s just a matter of putting it together and getting out and seeing what we can do as a team.
“Our strength is our veterans; the fact that we have a veteran team. We have a really good blend of both perimeter and post-up game. If we can continue to get better as a defensive team that will only help us.”
A sense of unity among the players was already evident early in the first week of practice.
“A lot of us have played together for three years and play AAU together and we’re all friends so naturally we click together,” Kurtz said. “The summer season went really good and we only lost about four games. I think we’re going to do well this season because we get along together so well on and off the court.”
The varsity team went 17-4 last year but lost to Livonia Franklin in the conference tournament and then to Canton in the first round of district play.
“We really did a nice job with our season,” Thomann said. “We just didn’t finish as well as we wanted to. We want to do a better job in our league tournament and we want to do a better job in the district tournament this year. We would like to be more competitive in those type of games and advanced a little further in both of those events.”
Despite last year’s stellar record, many of the players feel this is a better team and this will be a better season.
“We play really well together,” said Coppiellie. “We play as one, not as individuals, which makes it a easier to play and makes us more team united. We’re like a family. The three seniors bring a lot of experience but the sophomores and juniors are very advanced and that will help us a lot going into districts and regionals.”
“I just want the team to do the best that they can and to not have any of those fluke games that we should have won,” she added. “I want to win those games and play our hardest.”
Like the football team, the Lady Rocks have not been able to practice at their own gym and have borrowed rival Canton’s gym for practice. There’s no saying when the work at Salem will be done but, for a while, it won’t matter. The Rocks start their season off with a five road games.
Salem opens up against a quick Belleville team on Thursday, Aug. 31, and Brighton the following Thursday. The next week they play Mercy and then Canton and finish the road jaunt at Plymouth High School on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
The first game at Salem is against Stevenson on Tuesday, Sept. 26. All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
“I’m looking forward to a great season and everyone working together and playing hard as a team,” Langham said. “I think we’re going to be real good this year. Everyone clicks as a unit. We did good last year, but you can always do better. It’s always good to try and do better.”
