WRHS GIRLS BASKETBALL: Hornets well stocked for trip back to state

Coach Chris Gibson has maintained a level of excellence at White River High and it’s an experienced group of Hornets that will look to keep that tradition alive.

Coach Chris Gibson has maintained a level of excellence at White River High and it’s an experienced group of Hornets that will look to keep that tradition alive.

White River kicked off the 2009-10 season with a Saturday jamboree and gets rolling in earnest with a Friday trip to Peninsula High.

Graduation didn’t take big numbers from the White River ranks, but the losses were huge. Gone are dependable point guard Kristine Brons and 6-foot-2 post Kendall Williams, who took her game to Western Washington University.

But Gibson’s shelves are certainly well stocked for another run at the South Puget Sound League 3A title.

Leading the way are seniors Megan McKune, Carley McCutcheon and Kelsi Tyler, each a four-year member of the Hornet varsity. Equally crucial to the White River hoop fortunes is junior Brooke Paulson, a first-team all-South Puget Sound League 3A selection last year. McKune was a second-team pick.

Also returning from last year’s varsity squad are seniors Jessica Bush and Hailey Menzel, junior Sabra Sproul and sophomore Cassidy France. France was a backup behind Brons a year ago and will now get a chance to take the point guard reins.

“We’re small,” Gibson points out, adding that great team quickness should be the equalizing factor. There could be times, he said, when three or four guards take the floor at the same time.

Defensively, Hornet fans know what to expect from a Gibson-coached team. “We want to get out and pressure the ball,” he said.

The team had a wildly successful summer, losing just a handful of games, and is ready to tackle the high expectations that come with the girls program. In Gibson’s 12 years at White River, the Hornets have made a state tournament appearance 10 times. Last year’s squad went undefeated in league to capture the SPSL 3A championship.