Almost from the moment the final horn sounded in last season’s Section III Class B-1 title game, the Westhill girls basketball team started to turn its attention to 2012-13, getting back to the post-season – and winning it all this time around.
The Warriors were 20-0 last winter before South Jefferson stopped them, 52-41, in that B-1 final, eventually reaching the state championship game and leaving Westhill burning to start again.
Head coach Sue Ludwig could have one of her finest squads yet. Four proven starters – Anna Ross, Sam Peebles, Maggie Tripodi and Kelly Mascari – return, along with a deeper group of reserves that should give the stars some rest when it’s needed.
In hot pursuit of another undefeated regular season, Westhill went to Hannibal for Friday’s season opener, and rolled past the defending B-2 champions in a 65-15 blowout.
Pressure on defense led to an awesome start for Westhill, who were up 28-6 by halftime and held Hannibal to a single free throw in the third quarter as the edge grew to 50-7 before the starters rested.
Ross, beginning her junior campaign, worked her way to 20 points, while half of Tripodi’s 12 points came from a pair of 3-pointers. Peebles contributed nine points. Mascari and Paige Rogers both finished with eight points, with Delaney Martin earning seven points.
For Jordan-Elbridge, it promised to be a rougher transition, if only because of the departure of Molly Hourigan, the superstar center who is now playing Division I basketball at Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.
The Hourigan-less Eagles visited Cortland in last Tuesday’s season opener, and got overwhelmed in an 80-17 defeat to the Purple Tigers.
Just three J-E players – Emily Backes, Keelie Hotchkiss and Lea Wright – earned field goals, as Backes got eight points and Hotchkiss added seven points.
But the Eagles trailed 36-13 at halftime, and Cortland got 20 unanswered points in a third-quarter shutout as all 10 Purple Tigers that saw action got at least one field goal. Devon Tennant led with 18 points, with Shea Swartout contributing 15 points.
Solvay, who went 4-14 a season ago, opened last Friday against another top Class B contender, Bishop Grimes, and could not get much going in a 45-21 loss to the Cobras.
Mainly, the game got out of hand in the second quarter. Only trailing 11-6 through one frame, the Bearcats saw Grimes increase its pressure, leading to a 13-2 outburst that all but settled things.
Chelsie Delperuto scored 12 points, more than half of her team’s output. Otherwise, only Taylor Guinta earned multiple field goals (two). Grimes had a nice balance, as six different players earned five or more points, but none more than Megan Driscoll’s total of nine points.
