Darnell Cherry has been smiling regularly at practice these days, likely with good reason. His women’s basketball is returning five starters, has seven strong new freshmen and better chemistry that DuPont.
“If we bring it all together, if the chemistry works and everyone works together, I think we’ll win conference, I really do,” Cherry said. “That’s our goal. The team goal is to win conference.”
Players Alexis Harris and Carla Flores said they have loftier goals.
“We’re going to win state,” Harris said. “We’re strong as a whole and we’re going to win.”
Cherry said this season’s squad is the most talented team he has had at SWC, and the Lady Jags are ready to dominate.
“Our strength is probably our team in general,” he said. “We have 12 solid players. Out of the players we have from last year, we have two all-conference players, three honorable mention all-conference players, and a returner who was considered the best player from San Antonio coming out of high school. We have three California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) champions who played in high school. So our team should be really good this year.”
Second-year guard Kayla Payne said new players and returners are meshing well together.
“(The team’s) chemistry has been good,” she said. “We’ve been working together since the summer and I think we’re looking good.”
SWC women finished 10-11 last year.
Cherry and the Lady Jags look forward to kicking off their season Nov. 9 at the Pasadena Tournament. Their first home game is Nov. 27 facing Saddleback College.