Stoney Creek: Team Preview

This season, the Stoney Creek basketball team will look very different from last year. A young group used the 2017-2018 season to improve and gain experience. The squad now looks to build off those improvements and have a very successful 2018-2019. <strong>Head Coach:  </strong>Kellen James (4 years as Stoney Creek and overall) <strong>2017-2018: </strong> 8-15 "Last season we were a very young team, with only one player returning that had logged any minutes the season before ([player_tooltip player_id="2466" first="Emily" last="Eckhout"] ’19). We were starting a freshman and sophomore with 2 seniors that had not played much, and had a bench with little to no varsity experience, so we knew we were going to have some growing pains. Toward the end of the season we really started to gel and played our best basketball. Many had picked us to get knocked out of the state playoff the first night, but we battled, eventually upsetting Romeo in the District semifinals and playing close with Utica Eisenhower before losing in the final." - Coach James <strong>2018-2019 TEAM OUTLOOK</strong> "This year I think we will build from where we ended last year. We have a lot of girls that have put a lot of time in over the summer with the coaching staff. I expect us to be in the conversation for our league and district this season." - Coach James <strong>Areas of Concern:  </strong>Size, we only have one player above 5’10". - Coach James <strong>Best Case Scenario: "</strong>We win our district and make a run for the regional." - Coach James <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Key Returnees: </strong></p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="2466" first="Emily" last="Eckhout"] </strong>(Senior, 4 year varsity player, 3 year starter &amp; 3 yr. All League)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Marina St. Louis </strong>(Senior, Post player, varsity starter last year)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Meghan Solek </strong>(Senior, Guard, Varsity Starter last year, All league)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Lily DiPanni </strong>(Junior, Point Guard)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Devin Vowels </strong>(Sophomore, Guard/Forward)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Lauren Benitez </strong>(Senior)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Paige Seidell </strong>(Senior)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Erin Benitez </strong>(Sophomore)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Key Newcomers:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Sydney LaPrarrie </strong>(Freshman)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Maddie Rizzo </strong>(Junior)</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Kailey Shanahan </strong>(Junior)</p> Led by senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="2466" first="Emily" last="Eckhout"]</strong>, Stoney Creek has the potential for vast improvement. <strong>Eckhout </strong>is a prospect with All-State and next level potential. She has a much more experienced crew around her this season, highlighted by All-OAA player <strong>Meghan Solek</strong>. With their leadership and young players showing improvement, Stoney Creek can finish near tbe top of the OAA. They will be a threat to win at Districts and could make noise come Regionals. <p style="text-align: left"></p>