Jim Charles is the High School Girls Basketball correspondent for DelawareSports.com.  His articles appear below...

"I always struggle [academically] that first quarter in school. I got that over with. I was thinking about it. I talked it over with my teammates and I decided that I would really miss it if I didn’t come back and play." And with those words, Padua Academy senior, Carli Sabol, explained her reconsideration of an earlier decision to sit out this, her final season for the Pandas. In truth, Padua sorely needs the veteran leadership and spark that she provides. As Carli elaborated, "We’re a very young team. This year, it’s about building for the future. We’ve got speed, if not much height. We all get along really well. I think this season will be one of the best years that we’ve had here. I look forward to it."

She’s not kidding about the youth movement. Leading the offensive attack is sophomore Kelly "KJ" Johnson. Kelly was the only freshman on the varsity squad last year. This season, her role is that of starting point guard. She moves the ball up the court with the best of them, reads the floor with coolness and confidence, and has a killer outside shot. Fellow soph, Erin Pitcher, a one-time point guard herself, along with seniors Rebecca Coleman, Katie Young, and the aforementioned Sabol round out the starting five. While small in stature, the Pandas are big on heart – and spirit. There is a genuine closeness and camaraderie throughout the entire Padua basketball program. It’s clearly seen in the way the JV girls support the varsity, and vice-versa. Players in the stands, who should otherwise be getting in a little homework, are too absorbed in the game and cheering for their sister team to worry about trivial things like grades. Still, this "oneness", this bond that Padua has is part of the program’s unique charm.

Tuesday, December 5th, was Opening Night at Padua. Their opponents, the Lady Colonials of William Penn High School. Penn had a nice run of it back in the nineties, back when the likes of Michelle Whalen was racking up her 1,459 career points, but since then, WP has seen more lean years than fat. Still, I believe that despite the 74 – 48 drubbing they took at the hands of Padua in the opener, this is a good Colonial team. I think they’ll do well within their own conference. They can score points. What lapses there were seemed to fall predominately on the defensive end. Players gave up way too soon on the girl with the ball. The results were many Padua easy baskets underneath after the Penn pursuit gave way. If William Penn can address this, if they can work on this one single issue, they will be in the hunt come March.

As for Padua’s future? I left the game with a single thought – okay, they’re good. But how will they fare against a ranked opponent? In my pre-season prognostication, I put Padua 8th. But, with the return of Carli Sabol, this team becomes a serious wild card contender. Time – and better opponents – will tell.

Random Notes:

Former William Penn head coach, the legendary Chuck Bartels, was seen sitting in the stands. Just why he was there and not on the bench is a mystery I have yet to uncover – but I’m working on it!

Padua Academy first-year transfer (from St. Elizabeth), junior, Katey Briggs, scored a quick 5 points in about as many playing minutes. She also collected as many fouls as points, leading to a foul-out in her very first varsity game! Still, you gotta admire the aggressiveness.

More "Quotable Carli": On college plans: "I just got my acceptance to Penn State, but I also applied to Delaware and the University of North Carolina. I most likely won’t be playing sports at any of those schools." On being a multi-sport athlete and asking to give her preference: "Basketball, definitely. I play AAU basketball, so I would choose basketball over volleyball."

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Turning Up the Heat at the St. E’s Center

December 4, 2006

While the conditions outside went from mid-Septemberish to late-Decemberish, three or four hundred fans inside were treated to the official in-State unveiling of the ‘06/’07 St. Elizabeth Lady Vikings, Friday night, December 1.

If Ursuline is a study of a disciplined, efficient, machine-like team, then surely St. Elizabeth’s has a wholly different – but no less remarkable – style. Everything the Vikings do is done with a flair and a flourish. No team in Delaware has a monopoly on crowd "Oooo’s" and "Ahhh’s" like St. E’s. No team. The ball movement can be breathtaking. The defense, tough, in your face, and without mercy.

In all of this, senior, Khadijah Rushdan, sets the tone. Khadijah is the definition of a great player in that she makes her teammates better. In return, her teammates also bring out the best in her. Without Rushdan, the Vikes would still be a Top Five team. Amanda Craig, Symone Woody, and Joy Rutland would, by themselves, be too much for most in-State teams to handle. Add "K" to the mix, and you have a team that can really only be defeated by one other Delaware team. And, as the Lady Vikings have proven in the past, they are capable of beating that team too.

Friday night’s victim was Howard. Howard never really got anything going. By the end of the first quarter, St. E’s had already jumped out to a 29 – 7 lead. At the half, it was 51 – 14. When it was all said and done, the Vikings cruised to a 76 – 22 victory over an opponent that really wasn’t much of a test for them. Khadijah, and many of the other starters, sat out long stretches of the game as Tom Ferrier used his bench liberally. If his intention was to take it easy on Howard, that plan backfired as every shift he sent out there only added to Howard’s misery.

If their old home was affectionately referred to as "The Box", due to its insanely small size (for a high school gym), then allow me to propose that the current St. Elizabeth’s facility be nicknamed "The Sauna." In all the games I’ve ever attended in the St. E’s Center, the temperature in the place has never seemed to dip below a way-too-stuffy 75 degrees. And mind you, I’ve attended games there during some very mean cold snaps. Just why, in these days of Delmarva 51% rate hikes, anyone would want to keep a large building excessively warm is beyond me. …Unless it’s by design. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a plan to pumping in all the heat.

A team practicing 5 or 6 days a week, 5 or 6 months a year, in a stuffy, hot gym, will become acclimated to it after a while. So, while visiting teams will be tired and out of gas by halftime due to the heat, the Vikings will be taking it all in stride. It amounts to a decided home court advantage. Over the course of a season, who knows how many games go St. Elizabeth’s way due to opponents wilting in the greenhouse conditions? I don’t know whose idea it was, but it’s been too warm in that building since it opened, and no one has felt compelled to turn the thermostat down. And lest anyone think it’s all in my head, many are the fans in the bleachers who take off as many layers of clothing as is socially acceptable, and half of them are observed fanning themselves!

Hey Vikings! Couldja pull it back just a little?

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CYM – Where the Stars of Tomorrow Play Today

Ever since the first organized State Championship back in 1973, girls high school basketball in Delaware has been dominated by the handful of schools playing in the Catholic Conference. And this is no accident. Whereas most public school basketball programs start at the 7th and 8th grade levels, CYM (Catholic Youth Ministry) basketball programs are in full swing at the 5th and 6th grade levels. Additionally, many parishes have started their own "in house" programs for 3rd and 4th graders, and some – like St. Anthony of Padua Parish – even have organized teams for Kindergarten through 2nd grade! What this means is that by the time a player hits high school, it’s quite possible that she could have at least eight years playing experience behind her.

All of which leads me to the Thanksgiving Weekend Turkey Shoot Tournament. This is an annual event organized by Paul Immediato of St. Elizabeth’s Parish. Tournament games are played at The Box and, through a cooperative arrangement with St. Anthony’s, at Fournier Hall. There’s a boys wing of the tournament, however, as my responsibilities are with girls basketball, I will address that division of the tournament.

The tournament featured the very best ‘C’ and ‘Y’ division teams at the varsity level (7th/8th grade). What I saw over the course of the tourney was fast-paced, up-tempo, aggressive play from most of the teams. Several games went down to the wire and were decided by one or two points. It seemed as though the crowds in attendance were just as into it as the players and coaches were. When the very best teams were matched up, the level of play seemed not at all different than when the better high school teams in the area are playing.

Several teams impressed me, but the best of the bunch this year seem to be Ursuline, St. Elizabeth’s, St. John the Beloved, and Corpus Christi. Taking nothing at all away from the other teams, it has to be said that Corpus Christi is truly remarkable. When I saw them play, they had just eight players, but let me tell you – there wasn’t a weak spot on that roster. The Lady Warriors go all out – every one of them – and each girl plays the game as it should be played. The team is most notable for their man-to-man defense, which they’ve been playing as a unit since 5th grade. They don’t just play man well, they slap it on tight and dare their opponents to score. Head Coach Joe Nitsche and his right hand man, A.J. Nowell, have worked with this same group of girls for years and all the time and effort invested is evident by simply watching these girls play.

While "team ball" ruled the tournament, the games were also a showcase for the talents of many individual players. These players are literally the future of girls high school ball in Delaware, and as such I feel compelled to write about some of them. My apologies in advance to anyone overlooked.

Corpus Christi: Kara Gallagher, Emily Nowell, and Jill Price. Look for Jill at St. Mark’s High School starting next year.

Holy Angels: Allison Zimny. Tallest point guard in the tournament. Hard-nosed, aggressive player who leads her team well on the court.

St. Anthony’s: Krista Panella, Judi Ramirez, and Maria Talarowski. Look for Krista to contribute at Padua Academy starting next year.

St. Elizabeth’s: Alyssa Cuomo, Danielle McCleary, and Natalie Stanek. Alyssa might be the best forward in the tournament. Natalie is reminiscent of a young Michelle Albanese at point. Danielle looks at home playing any position and brings a real athletic quality to the Vikings.

St. Helena’s: Tori Casper. Tori is looking to attend St. Elizabeth High School next year. She’s a "can’t miss" guard with a full skill set.

St. John the Beloved: Samantha Bonvetti. This girl is a ball of energy who leaves everything on the court. Though not blessed, so far, with very much height, Samantha impacts every game as if she were seven feet tall. Lady Spartan fans will welcome her to St. Mark’s next year.

I know most of you are expecting articles that are strictly high school oriented. But, with the otherwise slow news weekend, I thought I’d sing the praises of players who will be making a huge impact at the high school level in the very near future.

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Ursuline Raiders Sneak Peek

Osteosarcoma. A polysyllabic word whose meaning is unbeknown to most of us. Charnelle Bacon, a great kid, hard working student and basketball player, probably wishes that she could join us in our ignorance of the definition of the word. Unfortunately, she can’t. She’s too busy doing battle with it. Osteosarcoma is a fancy medical term for a type of bone cancer. Charnelle is getting treatment for the disease, but it has meant sacrifices. It has required her to be homeschooled, for one thing. You see, a typical high school is a germ-filled environment that Charnelle’s already taxed immune system shouldn’t be exposed to. It has also meant that she can’t play basketball for the upcoming season for Caravel Academy.

Long story short – flash to Sunday, November 12, 2006. An all-day basketball tournament at Tri-State Sports in Aston, Pennsylvania was put together, the proceeds to help offset Charnelle’s medical bills. All sorts of teams participated. High school teams from Delaware and Pennsylvania, AAU teams, and even a CYM 7th and 8th grade team were part of this worthy cause.

The marquee game of the day featured our defending State Champions, Ursuline Academy matched up against a very formidable team from Villa Maria Academy. It was the public unveiling of the new ‘06/’07 Ursuline Raiders, and a first glimpse of the new "Burbidge Regime."

Villa Maria jumped to a quick 12 – 5 lead. The Raiders fought back, but found it tough sledding. Briefly, they took an 18 – 17 lead, but fell a little back, closing out the first half down a point, 27 – 26. The second half continued the basket-for-basket see-saw battle. In the closing minutes of the game, Erin Edwards hit a crucial three, and Elena Delle Donne contributed a quick follow-up bucket underneath. At the final buzzer, it was Ursuline over Villa Maria, 44 – 37.

Why such a close game? For one thing, Villa Maria is as tough a team as you’ll find. But also, in all fairness, the game didn’t matter. Coach Fran Burbidge made liberal use of his roster. By halftime, every girl had played quality minutes. He continued shuttling players in and out until the end of the game. The happy effect of this approach was that everyone in attendance got to see a full showcase of the talent on this team. Talent that goes beyond the all-world Delaware icon, Elena Delle Donne.

Juniors Erin Edwards and Kayla Miller are as smart, aggressive, and skilled as any backcourt in the state. Shannon O’Hanlon, from the forward position, helps keep opponent defenses from keying too much on Delle Donne. And Sophomore swing player Kelley Doogan brings an array of skills that make her a threat anywhere on the court.

I was very impressed with Erin Edwards’ game, and I asked Kelley about her. "Erin is a starter, a very good shooter and very strong." I asked her to take me through the Ursuline roster. Kelley replied, "This year, we’ll have a deeper bench. We won’t just have five people in all game. Steph Seitz, who wasn’t here today, is a very good player – very strong. Felicia Stumpo, who didn’t play last year, returns to the lineup. This is her senior year, and I look for her to be strong off the bench. Mandy DiLiberto and Brianna Collins provide hustle, strength, and good ball control. Kelsey Miller won’t play this year due to a knee injury. Mary Elizabeth Scholz will bring a good shooting touch."

Next, I asked her about the new defensive attitude and about her new coach. Kelley was quick to give credit, "Our new coach, Fran Burbidge, is huge on defense. It’s his biggest thing, and he loves man-to-man. We’ll be stressing it all season. Defense will be our identity this year."

If they stay healthy, and get rest at key points this winter, I don’t see how the Raiders can be denied yet another trip to The Bob in 2007.

Jim Charles