By Chris Parker
Verona girls basketball has a new head coach in Jacob Well coming off a three-win season a year ago.
The Wildcats return a solid core of players with a deep freshman class expected to contribute this season.
Violet Tosh, America Castillo and Aubrey Baker will be team leaders.
Well on Tosh: “Her best assets will be senior leadership and always having a non-stop motor on the court.”
Well on Castillo: “Being a big part of rebounding for our team and also being an important piece on offense for us.”
Well on Baker: “Keep building on being a senior who leads by example and does the little things right. Playing good defense but also using her athletic ability.”
Castillo averaged 6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2 steals per game last season.
Xochitl Martinez and Meghan Long also return.
Well on Martinez: “Xochitl Martinez will be a senior this year and she will help tremendously on the defensive side of the ball.”
Well on Long: “Meghan Long will be a junior and she will contribute rebounding on the offense and defensive side of the ball.”
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The freshman class will be key for Verona with six that could make an immediate impact on varsity including Jaicee Carrasquillo, Whitlee Cornelison, Taylor Baker, Kaleah Cohen, Joleigh Hargus and Amy Ortega.
Well on Carrasquillo: “She will be the starting point guard and run the offense and be a big presence on the offensive end and defensive end of the floor.”
Well on Cornelison: “She will impact the boards on both sides of the ball, also contributing on the offensive end as well.”
Well on Baker: “She will help on the defensive side of the ball with pressure.”
Well on Cohen: “She will bring speed and intensity and cause chaos on defense.”
Well on Hargus: “Joleigh Hargus is a freshman and will help with some scoring inside and also rebound the basketball.”
Well on Ortega: “Amy Ortega is a freshman and will be another inside presence that can get rebounds and put backs after an offensive rebound.”
The freshmen mixed with the upperclassmen has created good competition in practice.
“I feel like the whole team has gotten better,” Well said. “Being my first year, the mindset is to progress together. I feel like the freshman will help push the returning players and make us better as a whole. I think we will be faster but also compete against each other and make us better from top to bottom.”
Verona will look to use a pressuring defense to help create offense.
“Our biggest strengths will be pressure. We will be faster as a team and be able to run. I believe a strength will be defense and causing chaos will lead into offense,” Well said. “For us to find success, I believe we have to score the basketball and run better offense and limit turnovers to improve from last year.”
Verona opens the season with its home tournament Nov. 19-23.
