Team Preview
By Chris Langrill
When you've been to back-to-back state championship games, expectations can be high.
That's the case for the Skyview High girls basketball program. The Hawks won a state title in 2014 and then lost to Century in the championship game last season.
But this year's team will be without the likes of Kayla Turcato and Tiana Thompson, who were named first-team, all-conference players last year as seniors.
So coach Cindy Pasta is telling her players to focus on the future, not what the team accomplished in past seasons.
“Last year, we were very strong,” Pasta said. “So we are hoping to make our destiny with the players we have this year.”
One of those players who should help lead the way is junior guard Natalie Robison, who can help the team all over the court.
Skyview started the season with a 2-3 record at the time of this writing. That's not the kind of start the Hawks have become accustomed to in recent years, but don't count Pasta and the Hawks out yet. After all, Pasta has led Skyview to the state tournament or a state play-in game in 14 out of her 20 years at the helm.
So she knows how to help a team grow during the course of a season.
Pasta envisions this year's team coming at defenses with any number of players.
“We will have balanced scoring, where in the past we relied on one or two players,” she said.
Because of that balance, Pasta said her offensive schemes won't have to be one dimensional.
“We have good inside/outside game,” she said.
Defensively, Pasta is confident that her players should be able to keep up with most offenses.
“We are fast, and quicker (than last season),” she said.
But speed alone won't stop teams.
“We want to improve on our decision-making,” Pasta said.
At the end of the day, Pasta is just excited to see how her team comes together as the year progresses. She knows the race to the 4A SIC title will be a tight one, but she likes her team's desire.
“The team has good leadership and camaraderie,” Pasta said.
“They're good kids that have a strong work ethic.”
|