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Youthful Dragons Eye Brighter Days

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Lake Placid junior forward Sierra Weaver 11 has the ability and talent to hit the jump shot or score on the inside for the Green Dragon offense.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: December 1, 2008

LAKE PLACID - Youthful exuberance is no match for on-court experience, and Lake Placid girls basketball coach Shonda Lagree hopes that her team is ready for its trial by fire this season.

"We've got an awful lot of young players this season and we're still learning the ropes and getting use to playing together as a team," Lagree said. "We've been working to get the girls who played volleyball up to speed and we're taking our lumps in the early going of the season."

The lumps that Lagree mentioned are all the part of the growth process on the court, but a healthy grasp of the fundamentals is needed from the Green Dragons at this point.

In a recent game against Okeechobee, Lake Placid missed 17 layups en-route to a 30-point defeat - a loss that Lagree says "came down to a two-foot shot".

"We kept missing easy layups time and time again," said the LP coach. "That kind of play effectively killed our offense during that game.

"The early season is when you do your most growth as a team and as a player. That's when you play the bulk of your non-district schedule and go up against teams your not use to seeing. That in itself presents a number of challenges that help mold a young team."

Returning to the court for the Green Dragons this season are senior Kaneisha Hamilton and junior Sierra Weaver, who've taken on the leadership role for the young squad.

Weaver is optimistic after less than a week of practice with the basketball squad and is happy with the progress her team is making.

"We're improving slowly, but we are improving," Weaver said. "Some of the younger players are making huge strides and it's going to take game experience to let them continue to get better as players."

Hamilton was a Highlands Today All-Heartland selection last season, after leading the team in scoring with 12.3 points, 4.1 steals and 2.3 assists per game average.

The LP senior has continued to improve her defense presence on the court and should make some noise for Player of the Year nominations roll around.

"Kaneisha is a natural athlete and she can do so many things on the court," Lagree said. "She regularly sees double teams and that's why it's important for some other girls step up and take the pressure off her and Weaver.

"They can't do it alone."

Lagree knows that her offense flows through Hamilton and Weaver, who scored a season-high 16 points against Walker Academy last week, but the emergence of some younger players in the early going has given her more weapons on the court this season.

Freshman Jamacia Gayle and Brandi Dolbert are two girls that have stepped up their game and shown the kind of progress that Lagree is looking for.

Gayle is a dual threat for the Green Dragons, as he can hit the open shot but also can fight for the key rebound, as evidenced by her team-high 12 rebounds in the loss to Okeechobee and she scored 11 points against Walker Academy last week.

"Jamacia is a hard worker that is only going to get better as the season progresses," Lagree said. "She's hit some big shots for us and also has come on strong on the defensive side that tells me that she's hungry to improve and to win.

"She's a really scrappy player and those are my kind of players."

Dolbert has been a real spark off the bench for the Green Dragons, as she scored eight points all in the second half against Okeechobee to lead the team in scoring, while showing great hustle and a grasp of the team concept.

"I like the energy that Brandi brings off the bench," Lagree said. "She infuses the team with jolt that has seemed to really help us when the first team is struggling to find their shot.

"I'd like to see her more aggressive when it comes to her offense and hopefully she'll be a much-improved player by the end of the season."

When asked about expectations, Lagree said that it all depends on her team and whether they are able to grasp the fundamentals and learn to show some consistency night in and night out.

"All I want is for this team to give me everything they have every time they're on the court," Lagree said. "If they can do that, winning will take care of itself."

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5837 or choffman@highlandstoday.com

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