Things sure changed quickly for Dan Taylor.
Two years ago he was a first-year head girls basketball coach hoping to find his place in the Western Conference South Division. Now, thanks to his Meadowdale High School team’s success and tons of shuffling among his coaching peers, Taylor is one of the Wesco South’s most respected, proven winners.
“I’m (relatively) new here at Meadowdale but now I’m gonna be one of the veterans,” said Taylor, one of just four Wesco South head coaches who return this season to guide their respective teams.
Five of the division’s nine teams have new coaches. It should make for some interesting matchups and unpredictable battles.
“It’ll bring excitement to the league. Our girls are excited about that,” said Taylor, whose Mavericks placed sixth last season at the Class 3A state tournament and are expected to excel during the 2007-2008 season, which tips off this week. Meadowdale is led by senior point guard Eryn Jones, a Portland State University recruit.
The new Wesco South coaches are Everett Edwards (Lynnwood), Wayne Edwards (Edmonds-Woodway), Corey Gibb (Mariner), Nina Lowe (Shorewood) and Jody Schauer (Kamiak). It often takes awhile, even a few seasons, for first-year coaches to make their mark on a program, but the current group has great potential, Taylor said.
“All of the coaches, I really feel, can do a good job. If all their girls buy into their philosophies in their program I think it will be a great season for them,” said Taylor.
Schauer took over at Kamiak after coaching Lynnwood for three seasons. Kamiak — which returns several key contributors, including Julia Church, Jordan Keller and Kelsey Patrick — is expected to challenge Jackson and Meadowdale, the usual favorites, for the Wesco South title.
“Meadowdale and Jackson (led by University of Washington recruit Kristi Kingma) are always going to be tough regardless of who’s on their team. Their programs are established,” Schauer said. “(But) I think we’re gonna surprise some people this year. People expect us to do well, but we’ll still surprise them.”
Kamiak, which beat Meadowdale at the Mavs’ summer tourney, is a serious threat, Taylor said.
The Knights’ strengths are “athleticism and the fact that they have a strong core that’s been with each other for a while. They’re hungry for a great season and I think they’ll do well.”
Asked how his transition to Kamiak has gone, Schauer said the girls are hard workers who are eager to learn. They’ve done a remarkable job adapting to his style, he said.
But how will teams around the league adapt to so many new coaches and their varying tactics? Everyone better do their homework.
“More than anything, it causes the returning teams and the returning coaches to be sharp because we’re facing so many
new coaches and new systems,” said Schauer, who got to know the Wesco South competition well during his time at Lynnwood. “We need to scout better.”
Wayne Edwards, E-W’s new coach, was an assistant for the Warriors boys team last season and has given private lessons to several of the area’s top girls players. Edwards said the influx of new coaches will add a jolt of intrigue to the division. He hopes to surprise his foes by using a fresh approach.
“I don’t think (opposing) coaches know what I’m going to do offensively or defensively. I don’t think we’ll publish that,” said Edwards, laughing loudly.
Picked by local coaches to finish fourth in the Wesco South behind Jackson, Meadowdale and Kamiak, E-W has almost all of its key players back and added a talented freshman point guard. The Warriors seem likely to significantly improve on their 5-15 record from 2006-07.
“I have some very, very good girls,” Edwards said. “I’m having just really a lot of fun working with them and we’re doing really well.”
It’s unclear how long the division’s newest coaches will stick around. Meadowdale’s Taylor hopes they help ignite a lasting upturn in Wesco South competition.
“Hopefully with these new coaches it will help make our league one of the top leagues,” Taylor said. “I hope they stay for a few years.”
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