The Shorecrest girls basketball team’s youth movement is being unveiled this summer.
The Scots jumped out to a 4-1 start in the Shoreline Summer League at Shoreline Center, but second-year head coach Ed Wissing is cautiously optimistic about what he sees.
“We’re pretty young,” Wissing said. “We knew we were going to be young. It’s one thing to know it on paper and see it out there is something else entirely.”
“They’re eager to learn,” he added. “We’re deep. We’ve got a lot of good athletic players we can rotate through.”
Senior Casey Axelson, a 5-foot-3 guard, and an outside shooting specialist and solid defender is the Scots only senior.
Other returners include 5-9 sophomore shooting guard Janie Uppinghouse, the Scots top returning scorer, and 6-0 sophomore post India Matheson, the team’s inside threat.
Also back are 5-3 junior Rachel Schrote and 5-5 sophomore guard Brianne Lasconia who will compete for the starting point guard job.
Christina Jarvis, 5-6 guard, and Melissa Ruhlman, a 5-8 guard, swung between varsity and JV last year, and move up to full-time varsity status this year.
Addy Ibsen, a 6-1 sophomore post, moved up to varsity as well as long as 5-10 sophomore post Mickey Greenburg and 5-3 sophomore Allison Jones.
Sophomore scoring threat Shannon Shachle, a 5-8 guard, is back after missing last year with an ankle injury and sophomore Angel Tule, 5-10 also joins the varsity.
The sophomore-dominated team is young but skilled and athletic.
“Because of our depth we’re definitely able to play more full-court basketball defensively,” Wissing said.
Shorecrest went 5-13 in the Wesco South and 7-17 overall last year.
“I expect we’ll improve on last year’s record,” Wissing said.
The summer is a time to work on individual skill development to get the players better, Wissing added.
Last year’s junior varsity coach Dori Monson has moved up to be an assistant varsity coach where he’ll coach team defense and transition basketball. Monson coached many of the current sophomores in AAU ball.
Wissing received a layoff notice in May, but got called back and is currently in a part-time position in the social studies department at Shorecrest and will coach next season.
Shorecrest’s only loss through five games in summer league was to Edmonds-Woodway, who made the district playoffs last year.
The Scots also competed in a couple tournaments this offseason and will go to Western Washington’s team camp on July 19.
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