Basketball: Central holding its own in Northwestern District (01-20-06)
Girls basketball team isn't slowed by jump in competition this season -- By Ryan Sonner (Daily Staff Writer)
WOODSTOCK — There's been a quiet confidence among the Central girls basketball team ever since Roger Wilkins took over as head coach last season.
With Wilkins leading the way, the players thought, anything was possible. After all, in the six years between Wilkins' two coaching stints, Central had just one winning season and prevailed in only 31 percent of their games.
The only place to go was up, and the Falcons did just that, finishing with a 16-10 record last year and advancing to the Region B tournament. There was always a hint of trepidation, however, because of Central's shift from the Group A Shenandoah District to the Group AA Northwestern District.
No one wanted to say it, but the Falcons knew they could compete at the next level. Now, halfway though the district schedule, the girls basketball team has established itself as the only program in the school that has held its own in the tougher Northwestern District.
Heading into Thursday's game at Brentsville, the Falcons were 9-3 overall and 5-2 in district play, tied with the Tigers for second place.
In comparison, the Central football team won just two district games, as did the volleyball team. The school's two cross country teams combined for just one district victory and the boys basketball team carries a 1-5 district record. Combined, the wrestling team and both swim teams have an 0-14 record in the district.
"I really didn't know what to expect because you just never know going into a new league," said Wilkins, who coached the Falcons to the 1996 Group A state championship before stepping down one year later. "We felt we had played Handley decent [last year] so if they were at the top, we felt like we should be able to compete in the new league."
Wilkins felt comfortable tiptoeing into the Northwestern District, but his players were not as passive.
"We knew what we were up against because we did pretty well against them in middle school," junior guard Kayla Dorrin said, referring to past games against Winchester and Frederick County middle schools. "In seventh grade we took third and in our eighth-grade year we won it. We recognized a lot of familiar faces."
Central's recipe for success hasn't changed. Senior Kelsey Kennedy is still the team's go-to player in the paint, averaging a team-best 11.8 points and eight rebounds. Junior guard Cierra Plum is the Falcons' best inside-out threat, scoring 11.3 points to go along with her team-high 9.8 rebounds.
Dorrin was the missing link. In the past, she had a pass-first mentality on the court, but Wilkins has waited for Dorrin to develop that killer instinct, the one that tells her to drive to the basket instead of making an unnecessary pass.
"She wouldn't take it to the basket enough," Wilkins said. "This year, she's really taking it in. You have to get that feel and now she's playing with more confidence."
Last season, Dorrin averaged 5.9 points per game. In just 12 games this year, she has upped that average to 9.2 and is just seven points shy of matching last year's season total.
"Coming into the season, I didn't feel very confident at all," Dorrin said. "I felt like I didn't have enough preparation. Then, after a couple games, I realized that I can do it. I'm looking to shoot more this year."
Despite her increased shot total, Dorrin still leads the team with 2.7 assists per game. She's also the team leader in steals (4.7).
"I love passing it, but now I realize I can shoot and I need to do that to help the team out," she said. "I just concentrate more on the technique and that really helps my shot."
The Falcons know they haven't won anything yet, not with Handley still perched atop the district standings. The Judges have already taken care of the Falcons once this year, by 15 points, and the rematch is slated for Feb. 6 in Winchester.
"We've been playing well against everyone," Kennedy said. "We can stick with them and hold our own."
