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Capital High School
School Info
Conference: 5A Southern Idaho Conference
Classification: 5A
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Head Coach: Blas Telleria, Jr
Years as Head Coach: 8th Season
Previous Experience: Eight years 1997-2005 as Boys Varsity Assistant at Capital.
Played at University of Idaho
Record Last Year: 8-15
State Titles: 1978, 1979
Assistant Coaches:
Steve Danaha
Ron Marthe
Destinee Johnson
Darrin Shindle
Nicole White
Returning Players:
Brynn Dittman – Senior Forward
Belle Lewis – Junior Guard
Yesenya Bendinelli – Sophomore Guard
Beverly Slater – Sophomore Guard
Britanny Ralston – Sophomore Guard
Ellie Johnson – Sophomore Guard
Returning Players with Honors:
Yesenya Bendinelli – Honorable Mention All SIC 2014-15
Incoming “impact” players:
Darian White – Freshman Guard – Sister of 2015 of Derrick White Boys Player of the Year
Brittany Ralston – Sophomore Guard – Returning from knee injury, played a little last year
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Photo By: Steve Conner - #13 Yesenya Bendinelli |
Team Preview
Written by: Ryan Lee
The Capital Eagles return six players from a team that barely missed the state tournament last season, but like last year, Capital will start the season with another young roster, six sophomores and three freshmen.
Even though they will be young 9th year head coach Blas Telleria, Junior says, “All the girls are very athletic and have great minds and skills for the game. There will be lots of potential for this group, and lots of room for growth.”
Returning for the Eagles this season are senior forward, Brynn Dittman, junior guard, Belle Lewis, sophomore guard, Beverly Slater, sophomore guard, Britanny Ralston, sophomore forward, Ellie Johnson, and sophomore guard, honorable-mention 5A SIC all-conference member, Yesenya Bendinelli. Dittman is the lone senior of the group and her leadership and experience will go a long way in accelerating a young group to reach its potential.
Newcomers for Capital come in the form of two potential all-star guards in sophomore guard, Brittany Ralston and freshman guard, Darian White. Ralston played a little last year but was battling a knee injury throughout the year, but should be at full strength heading into this season. White is the sister of 2015 boys Player of the Year Derrick White. She comes with great DNA and has the potential to be a great player and should come in and contribute right away for the Eagles.
Offense:
Offensively, the Capital Eagles have a lot of girls with strong basketball backgrounds who are very intelligent. This is an area that Capital really struggled with last year.
“Our youthfulness sometimes catches up to us, so we need to try and not force things in certain situations and look for the easier option that is available,” said Head Coach Blas Telleria.
Scoring isn’t an area of concern heading into the 2015-16 season with a handful of guards that can make smart, entertaining plays with the basketball.
Defense:
With the depth and talent Capital has this season, they should be able to match up with everyone on a nightly basis. The struggle Capital has had in the past is bringing that defensive intensity on a nightly basis. This is something Coach Telleria wants to fix this season and hopes her team can play with a little bit more intensity every night, because she believes they have the ability to cause a lot of problems and force a lot of mistakes out of their opponents.
Wrap-Up:
For me, Capital is the team to watch in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference this season. They competed well with every good team last year and beat most of them over the summer. Look for these Lady Eagles to gain traction early in the season, because coming into the season they have the ability and confidence to play with and beat anyone in the conference.
GAME TO WATCH: Capital and Borah are in the same pod and play each other at least twice this year. These rivalry games are always fun to watch, so make sure you head over to IdahoSports.com to check the schedule. Capital will also play a perennial power, the Lewiston Bengals, on December 18.
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