By Christopher Smith
With only two returning players, the Lady Apaches lack experience but are quick, according to head coach Joe Conroy.
The team’s strengths, according to Conroy, are the two returning players:
Shelly Obermiller, a 5’6"guard-forward from LaSalle-Peru High, shot 30% from three-point range, and 75% from the free-throw line for the team last year. She averaged 12 points a game, while also having three rebounds per game. The sixth-year head coach said, "Obermiller is a defensive minded."
Molly Heins, a 5’9" forward from Seneca, shot 53% from the field last year, while averaging 10 points a game and pulling down 7 rebounds a game. Heins led the team last year with 21 blocked shots while also being in the top 5 of the conference in steals. She had 62 steals for the season.
Coach Conroy said "We have a strong attitude to what we are doing."
When asked about any weaknesses the team might have coach Conroy said "Experience is a weakness, since the fact is we are playing at the college level with just two returning players."
According to the head coach, he believes that their rebounding will be fine, and that defensively they are quick.
The head coach said that the team will try to keep the ball out of the low post to offset the lack of a big physical player.
In addition to having a fresh new team, a new assistant coach has joined the Lady Apaches staff. Former Apache Randy Casey has taken over the assistant position held by James Carboni for two seasons.
The rest of the team consists of six freshmen and one sophomore. The freshmen include 5’4 guard Amber Vincent, and 5’6 guard Nicole Oberle of LaMoille-Ohio Coop, 5’10 center Christina Borri, of Putnam County High, 5’5 Heather Glubczynski of LaSalle-Peru High, 5’5 guard Cara Campbell of Cedar Lake, Indiana, and 5’7 forward Kristin Czyz of Ottawa.
As of press time, Czyz was not expected to be at full strength till January 1due to stress fractures in her left foot. The other member of the team is 5’9 Heather Eckard, of Henry, who played softball for the Apaches the last two seasons but in basketball eligibility is a freshman.
The team will play on the road at Highland to open the season on November 10, while playing at home on November 12 against Black Hawk East.
10/29/98 the Apache