Young Royals upbeat about season

LYNNWOOD

The past two seasons haven’t exactly been a joyride for Lynnwood girls basketball coach Jody Schauer.

Since arriving at Lynnwood in 2004, Schauer, who’s entering his 21st year as a basketball coach, has an overall record of 2-40.

This season, however, might just be the breakthrough season Schauer’s been waiting for.

“This year we have pretty much an entirely new team,” Schauer said. “We have more talent and more athleticism than I have had since coming to Lynnwood. We can win more games this year if we stay healthy. In fact, I think we can win at least half our games. The girls have really worked hard. They have great dedication and determination.”

The Royals, who lost seven of 10 players from last year, have already matched their season-high in victories spanning two years with a 53-41 win over Arlington in their season opener on Dec. 1.

“It feels really good that we’ve stepped it up and have that victory behind us,” junior guard Abriana Hill said. “We are determined to have a better season this year. The truth is we’ve received a lot of (grief) from a lot of people who have been saying that we wouldn’t even win one game. But that makes us work even harder.”

Although youth can sometimes be perceived as a weakness, Schauer couldn’t be more optimistic about his young and inexperienced squad. Five of the team’s nine players are underclassmen, including two freshmen starters in guard Kari Hella and post Laycee Hill.

“I like what I see in our youth, but it’s difficult in a lot of ways,” said Schauer, whose resume includes head coaching positions at Renton High School and Grace Academy in Marysville. “But I think having a young team, we can develop and build a solid core of players. One of the problems, though, is they (underclassmen) seem to take everything much harder. They’re more sensitive than my older players. And none of them are old enough to drive.”

The Royals, however, aren’t completely without a veteran or two. Leading the offense is senior point guard Alex Kilmer and junior shooting forward Abriana Hill. The two returning starters combined for 24 points in the Royals’ victory over Arlington. Rounding out the starting five is second-year starter and sophomore Alanna Eddy at the post position.

“Alex is a third-year starter and she’s our coach on the floor,” Schauer said. “She is basically an extension of me. There’s always one or two players who have real talent. But I think Alex is the best I have coached. She makes my job much easier.”

As for Abriana Hill, whose freshman sister Laycee Hill also plays on the varsity team, she’s already received letters from D-1 colleges, which are interested in keeping an eye on the 5-foot-9 forward during her junior and senior years.

“Our speed and our bench will be the difference this year,” Abriana Hill said. “We’re not a tall team, but we make up for it by having a smarter offense and lots of speed. And we are a real scrappy group and that is an advantage for us.”

Not only is Schauer excited about the team’s speed, but he is also optimistic about having a deeper bench. It’s the strongest bench he’s had since coming to Lynnwood. Leading the non-starters is junior forward Jessica Anthony and 5-foot-6 junior guard Sital Prasad.

“This is my strongest bench since I’ve been here,” Schauer said. “I haven’t had a great bench in past years, but now I am very confident in our bench. And that really makes a big difference.”

“I really think this will be a better season for us this year,” co-captain Kilmer said. “We are a completely different team and we’re ready to start winning.”