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Devils Ready For Transition

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Avon Park's Daija Barrett (15) battles for a rebound against Sebring's Whitney Lee (14) and Hannah Shoop (43) in the Class 4A-District 10 championship game last season. Barrett will be key in the Red Devil's transition offense this season.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: November 13, 2007

AVON PARK –– The last words Avon Park girls basketball head coach Paulette Daley said before she walked off the court during the Class 4A-District 10 championship game against Sebring last season have built the foundation and set the tone for the Red Devils this year.

"We'll be back," said a confident Daley.

Those words are the rallying cry for the more focused and discipline squad that is devoid of senior leadership, but has the tools to push the defending-district-champion Blue Streaks to the limit.

"It was a very challenging year," said Daley, who led Avon park to a 14-5 overall record last season. "The second year should be smoother, since the girls know my system and they know full well that the district title slipped out of their hands."

The "oh-so-close" moniker was placed on the Red Devils last season after holding the undefeated Blue Streaks to 16 points in the first half of the district championship game, but couldn't capitalize on Sebring's off night, as the score was tied at intermission.

They had a golden opportunity to wrangle the title from their arch-rivals, but Sebring's experience took over and Avon Park lost 45-35.

This year it isn't a question of experience, but a question of designing a style of play that will match the Red Devils strengths.

Gone is the size in the middle (Kysi Wooden and Shantavia Sims) and left is a collection of talent that is as quick as they are cunning.

"We don't have the height we had last season," the second-year coach said. "We're going to have to rely more on transition ball and jump on teams early. We need to force turnovers and capitalize on them.

"This team is young and fast and that combination makes them a major threat in this district."

Returning for the Red Devils is junior Daija Barrett, whose ball-handling skills and shooting touch make her a threat to drive or pull up for the 15-foot jumper. Last season, Barrett was in charge of distributing the ball to her front line, but Daley would like that strategy to change for the senior guard.

"I thought Daija limited herself too much last season," Daley said. "She sometimes passed too much to the girls on the inside instead of taking her shot. This season, I told her that she needs to just go out and play her game.

"She is a vital part to the success of this team."

Beona Godfrey and Kandice Stokes have been in Daley's system since the coach's days running the junior varsity team. That knowledge will serve them well, as Daley fine-tunes the Red Devils run-and-gun style of play, not to mention their schooling of the new players to the team.

Barrett and Godfrey, who were both were named to the Highlands Today Girls Basketball All-Heartland team last season, have the chemistry on the court that should transition into wins.

Making the transition from junior varsity to varsity has been a struggle for most girls, and Daley is asking a lot from her underclassmen in the way of their learning curve.

"It is such a different game coming from junior varsity to varsity," Daley said. "The timing and aggressiveness at the varsity level is something you can't really teach until they get into a real game situation.

"The one thing we have been working on is decision making at this level. The new girls have to be confident in the system and show me that confidence on the court."

The one gleaming aspect of Avon Park girls basketball that Daley made the appropriate changes to this season was the schedule. A more challenging schedule was in line this season, after inheriting weak out-of-district match-ups last season.

"This or any other team can't get better if they don't play quality competition," Daley said. "I don't want to walk through the regular season only to be outclassed in the playoffs. You have to play those tougher teams even if you lose. Sometimes when you lose, you actually can win in the long run.

"You can't buy that type of game experience."

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