By John RittenhouseWhile the Hills-Beaver Creek volleyball team put together a successful season under the leadership of coach Curt Doorneweerd, another H-BC coach was watching with interest from a distance.Although H-BC girls? basketball coach Goehle was busy with his cross country and football coaching duties at the time, he tried to keep a supportive eye on what was happening with the volleyball.Goehle believes success in one sport can lead to success in another, and he thinks the confidence the H-BC girls gained during a 20-6 volleyball season will help the Patriots on the hard court this winter."I feel we?re in really good shape right now," he said. "A number of these girls played volleyball this year, and winning can be contagious. Believing you can and believing that we?ll still be playing basketball in March can be half the battle."On paper, H-BC looked to field a strong basketball team this winter regardless of what happened during the volleyball season.The Patriots will return all but one player from a 2002-03 team that placed third in the Red Rock Conference with a 10-6 record.H-BC opened the South Section 3A Tournament with a 51-50 win over Red Rock Central in the quarterfinals, but its 15-10 season ended with a 63-40 loss to eventual runner-up Adrian in the semifinals.Although the leadership senior Sarah Rozeboom gave the Patriots as a starting wing last season will be missed, Goehle thinks the experience and talent his 2003-04 squad will take into the season will more than make up for the absence of one player."I think we will have a great year," Goehle said. "You can?t control how the other teams play against you, but I expect our girls to play as well as any team I?ve ever had. Whether that means we?ll win more games than last year, I don?t know. I just expect our girls to play at a higher level than we ever have before."The Patriots will open the season with an 11-player roster, and nine of the athletes received playing time at the varsity level last winter.Considering six of the players drew starting assignments during the course of last season, H-BC will be a battle-tested team in 2003-04."We have nine girls with a considerable amount of experience," Goehle said. "That is one of our greatest strengths. These girls have been playing together for quite a while, too. They are a close-knit group, and they work extremely hard."Goehle has what he calls a perfect senior class that consists of four players. Two of the seniors return as starters, and two more logged playing time last season.Erin Boeve and Amanda Olson are the seniors returning as starters. Boeve, a 6-1 post, led H-BC in scoring and rebounding while earning a spot on the All-RRC Team last season. Olson, a 5-10 post, is another strong player in the paint.Melinda Sandstede, a 5-7 guard, and 5-10 forward Alissa Hoyme are other senior members of the team."Our seniors have been with us (in the basketball program) all the way," Goehle said. "They have a lot of experience as a group, and they have seen lots of game and practice time. They are a close bunch and great leaders. It?s everything you want in a senior class."H-BC?s five-player junior class is talented and experienced, too. Four of the juniors started games for H-BC last year, while the other is a first-year player.Cassi Tilstra, a 5-8 guard, made the All-RRC Team as a sophomore.Brittney Rozeboom and Melinda Feucht are 5-6 and 5-8 guards with starting experience.Danielle Fransman, a 5-8 forward, has not played basketball since the eighth grade, but her athletic ability makes her an asset to the program."Our juniors have been with us a long time, too," Goehle said. "They have a considerable amount of experience, and they are very good athletes. They have been playing with the senior girls for quite a while."Rounding out H-BC?s preseason roster are sophomores Stacy Bush and Kari Roozenboom. Bush is a 5-6 guard with varsity experience. Roozenboom, a 5-8 forward, will be playing at the varsity level for the first time.When Goehle looks at his roster from top to bottom, he finds it difficult to pinpoint a weakness."I can honestly say I don?t have any concerns about this team," he said. "Our quickness on both ends of the court is an asset, and so is our experience. The big thing for us will be to keep everyone healthy. Having everyone healthy plays a big role in getting your timing down and developing team chemistry."The Patriot coach lists Adrian and Fulda as the favorites in the RRC this season, with Red Rock Central and Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin as being other teams to watch.With a mixture of talent and experience, there?s no reason why H-BC can?t knock off any of the RRC favorites and make a run at a postseason championship."We haven?t sat down and set our goals as a team yet," Goehle said. "One thing we?ll want to be doing is still playing basketball when March rolls around."H-BC opens the season by hosting Central Lyon Monday. H-BC plays in Adrian Friday.
