14
Rutland Herald Winter Sports Guide 2018-2019
Girls Basketball Preview continued from page 12
then feed the shooters when the defense
begins to collapse.
They have a late opener, taking on
Oxbow on Dec. 14. The Cosmos play
only three games in December and that
means an extremely crowded schedule
in 2019 when they must play 17 games
between Jan. 2 and Feb. 21.
West Rutland
ROBERT LAYMAN / STAFF PHOTO
Rutland High School’s varsity girls basketball team during practice at Keefe
Gymnasium in Rutland.
Costello said of his junior center.
That means her basketball IQ is still
developing.
“She runs the fl oor as well as any
forward I have seen and she has soft
hands. You can’t teach soft hands,”
Costello said.
Yet another returning starter is Jessica
Cerniglia.
Others expected to contribute are
Ashley Chamberlin, Ashley Quelch and
Kaylee Warren.
The Cosmos will continue to try to
create space for driving the lanes and
Unlike last season when coach Carl
Serrani was trying to replace fi ve starters,
this year the Golden Horde has plenty of
familiar faces in the lineup. Four starters
return: Kiera Pipeling, Elizabeth Bailey,
Jenee McGee and Samantha Callahan.
Other returnees are Kasey Serrani,
Deanna Kenyon, Madison Guay and
Kiana Grabowski.
Pipeling and McGee are the top
returning scorers and Bailey gives
the Golden Horde something a lot of
Division IV teams don’t have by being
6-foot-2.
“I think because of Elizabeth we will
try to play more of an inside-out game
this year,” Serrani said.
The schedule will be testing owing in
part to that Rutland County triangle of
West Rutland, Proctor and MSJ.
“I think the MVL is up for grabs,”
Serrani said.
Serrani loves what he has seen in the
preseason.
“I think there are four or fi ve of them
who have really grown up,” he said.
“They have a lot different attitude and
are giving a better effort.”
The schedule will look a little different
with two games against new opponent
Rivendell. The Horde is also playing
Division II neighbors Fair Haven and
Otter Valley.
The Horde went 15-8 last year with
three of the losses coming at the hands
of MSJ, the last of those in the semifi nals
at Barre Auditorium.
[email protected]