Return to health should give Spartans more wins

Valley View suffered through a bevy of injuries last season.

$Valley View High School's Hannah Collins\uFEFF led the Spartans with 9.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game last season. Contributed photo by David A. Moodie$

Moodie Valley View High School's Hannah Collins\uFEFF led the Spartans with 9.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game last season. Contributed photo by David A. Moodie

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By Rick Cassano, Staff Writer 1:57 AM Friday, November 25, 2011

GERMANTOWN — The priority is to stay healthy.

Valley View High School’s girls basketball team was riddled with injuries last season, yet still managed a 12-9 record and a second-place finish in the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division behind Bellbrook.

“We’re trying to get all the pieces back together again,” 10th-year Spartans coach Steve Dickson said. “I’m very happy. I think we’ve made great progress.”

He’s got his fingers crossed with a senior-laden squad led by 5-foot-9 junior forward Hannah Collins. She paced Valley View in scoring (9.2), rebounding (11.5) and steals (3.3) last year.

Collins’ success on the boards can be attributed to pure desire, according to Dickson.

“She’s not afraid to box out and go after loose balls,” he said. “She doesn’t worry about points. She wants those rebounds.”

Senior point guard Kaitlynne House returns to the starting lineup as well, along with 6-foot senior center Marissa Herlinger.

Senior guard Becca Pugh started most of last season before suffering a toe injury.

Senior forward Brooke Lewis (thumb), junior guard/forward Hannah Haeseker (knee) and senior forward Savanna Speessen (hand and brain injuries) are all back after missing varying parts of the 2010-11 campaign. Speessen didn’t play at all.

Valley View’s top 3-point threats are Haeseker and Lewis.

“The fact of the matter is we don’t shoot the ball that great,” Dickson said. “We like to drive to the basket. We’ll be more of a half-court execution kind of team.”

Pugh, Collins and freshman forward Hannah Thomas are the team’s quickest players. Dickson has two other ninth-graders (Alexis Stidham and Kylee Genslinger) on the roster, but said Thomas is the most likely to make an impact.

“I think she’ll be a factor defensively,” Dickson said.

The veteran coach noted that the Spartans, who lost just one senior (Mallory Wright) to graduation last year, could go 10 deep on a regular basis.

“We don’t have one main scorer,” Dickson said. “It’s going to have to be a team effort. I think we’re going to be a good defensive team.

“I’m excited about the season,” he continued. “I’m seeing good things. The girls are working together and not worrying about who’s going to get the most minutes. I know we will hustle, and I know we will work hard.”

Dickson said Bellbrook remains the team to beat in the Southwestern Division. The Golden Eagles went 12-0 en route to last year’s championship, while the Spartans shared the runner-up spot with Brookville and Dayton Oakwood.

Roster

Player Pos. Ht. Yr.

Hannah Collins F 5-9 Jr.

Kylee Genslinger G 5-3 Fr.

Hannah Haeseker G/F 5-9 Jr.

Marissa Herlinger C 6-0 Sr.

Kaitlynne House G 5-6 Sr.

Ashley Leach G 5-5 Sr.

Brooke Lewis F 5-10 Sr.

Leigh Pheiffer F 5-7 Sr.

Erica Powell G 5-7 Sr.

Becca Pugh G 5-8 Sr.