Salisbury High Girls Preview

BY BRYAN STRICKLAND
SALISBURY POST

Having spent time on the basketball benches at both North Rowan and West Rowan, Salisbury girls coach Jennifer Shoaf knows firsthand how the Hornets are viewed around the county.

It hasn't exactly been a breathtaking view.

"When you talk about girls basketball around here, Salisbury always seems to be on the bottom of the totem pole," said Shoaf, whose team tied for last in the Central Carolina Conference last season. "The girls are tired of that. ... They want to turn it around."

Shoaf, now in her third season, believes this may be the team that can do it. The Hornets lost just three players to graduation - including just one regular contributor - and they return two of the better post players in the county.

But Shoaf knows it's going to take more than a roster of returning players to return the Hornets to prominence in a county choked full of good girls teams.

"We've got some of the best girls in the county, but the girls have got to believe that," Shoaf said.

"They feel like they've got something to prove. We don't know how high we can go, but they're determined to make a game out of every situation."

How tall the Hornets stand will depend heavily on how tall junior Sherree Gillespie and senior Ellaevon Phifer stand. Gillespie's work in the post earned her all-county honors last season, while Phifer played all five positions in ranking second on the team to Gillespie in scoring.

Shoaf said that both are driven to be even better this season.

"Sherree wants to be one of the premiere players in the county," Shoaf said, "and Ella wants to get a little of the respect she thinks she deserves.

"We're going to build our offense around them, and for good reason. They're probably the best all-around players we have on the team."

Not far behind that pair is sophomore KeKe Chunn, who has third in scoring as a shooting guard last season. With two-year starter Abuetta Kamara lost to graduation at point guard, Shoaf is in the process of deciding whether to make Chunn or fellow sophomore Quintina Hobson her point guard.

"Anytime you lose your point guard and aren't sure who's going to step in, that's a concern," Shoaf said. "It's big-shoe time.

"We're working both of them at point guard now to see which one takes better control. One of my concerns is that if I play KeKe at the point, that might take away from her scoring chances."

While both Chunn and Hobson will play regardless of which one lands at point guard, other starting positions will be determined in part by where the versatile Phifer ends up. Shoaf said that if Phifer plays in the post, then sophomore Jenny Reilly or sophomore Ternisha Charleston will play on the wing; if

Phifer moves out to the wing, then senior Annie Reilly will fill in at the post.

"Ellaevon is our all-purpose player. She can play any position on the floor," Shoaf said. "Our starting lineup will have a lot to do where we need Ella the most, and that could vary from game to game."

Still other Hornets should contribute as well. Junior forward Tiffany Robinson is one of the Hornets' top defensive players, while senior guard Liz Taylor is their best pure shooter.

Gwen Brown and Crystal Taylor will help with their defense and rebounding, and senior Leah Burgin is returning to basketball after competing for the swim team last season.

Whatever lineup the Hornets employ, speed is sure to be a part of the equation. Five Hornets - Chunn, Hobson, Charleston, Robinson and Crystal Taylor - are sprinters on the track team.

"We have to utilize the team speed that we have," Shoaf said. "They can flat-out go."

Shoaf is hoping that this season will end with her first trip to the state playoffs as Salisbury's coach. She played for current North Rowan coach Gary Atwell through the 1987-88 season, then played a season at Lees-McRae before giving up hoops and transferring to Western Carolina.

Shoaf then spent one season coaching the jayvees at West Rowan, then one season assisting Atwell at North. She came to Salisbury five years ago, coaching the jayvees one season and then assisting the varsity team for one season before taking over the head job.

"We want to have an eruption - have someone notice that we exist," Shoaf said. "Our record might not show it yet, but we've taken some major steps the last couple of years.

"And we're going to take some more steps this year - maybe even skip a step or two."