Girls basketball: Harbor smiling again

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Since the glory years under former coach Shannon

Jakosky, the Newport Harbor High girls basketball program has undergone

more changes at the top than a busy Jiffy Lube.

But Jen Thompson, making her debut as a varsity head coach, is taking

aim at details like education first and having fun second, while, above

all, sticking around awhile.

“That’s the first question they asked me when (Newport) hired me at

the end of June,” Thompson said of her players. “‘Are you going to be

here more than one year?’ I’ve heard (the Sailors) have had a new coach

every year, that there has been no stability.”

Thompson, the Sailors’ sixth coach in the last five seasons, isn’t

saying the team will return to the CIF Southern Section divisional and

Southern California Regional finals at the Arrowhead Pond, where

Jakosky’s squad played in ‘94, before the program started to go in

another direction.

But Thompson is promising more smiles than last year, when the Sailors

finished 2-22 (they were 4-23 the year before that).

“They look like they’re having fun, and they’re smiling,” Thompson

said. “In the games I went to last year, they weren’t.”

Furthermore, Thompson said the players seem happier because of

additional offensive plays, and, with more options, perhaps the team’s

four returning starters can parlay their experience into a campaign that

includes a Sea View League win. Newport Harbor has dropped 16 consecutive

league games heading into 2001-02.

However, with a new attitude instilled by their coach, the former Jen

Nakanishi of Culver City High who set a CIF Southern Section career

three-point record (277), the Sailors are believing in positive things to

come.

“We’re going to run,” said Thompson, who coached the lower levels at

Woodbridge High for a couple of years, before landing at Newport last

spring as an assistant coach and shortly thereafter being asked to accept

the head coaching position (replacing Glenn Albios).

“I noticed last year (the Sailors) slowed up and got in trouble when

there was a press, and then got in trouble when they tried getting the

ball to half court. But we’re going to run. Our offense is a running

offense and they’re all in shape.”

Thompson, a three-time All-CIF selection and former Cal Poly Pomona

standout, inherits a young team with only one senior, 5-foot-10 Avita

Castillo, who averaged 8.5 points per game last season.

“(Castillo) has height and the athletic ability to jump,” Thompson

said. “She can play both (guard and forward).”

Junior Lindsey Woller, a 6-foot center who started part-time last

year, 5-5 junior point guard Athena Vasquez and 5-7 sophomore Jillianne

Whitfield were also regulars in the lineup last season.

Junior Amanda Campbell, 5-9, contributed off the bench last year and

will work into the starting rotation this season.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvement in the players,” Thompson said. “Even

in the summer, when we played in the Costa Mesa (Tournament) in July, the

coaches were saying how much the team had improved.”

Newport Harbor, which hasn’t experienced great success since playing

in the CIF Division III-AA and Southern California Regional championship

games seven years ago, opens its season with high hopes Tuesday at 7 p.m.

in a nonleague game at Fountain Valley.

“I expect them to give 100% all the time while on the court and off

the court,” said Thompson, referring to a focus on academics.

With Harbor’s returning crew intact, several newcomers provide the

Sailors with more height, led by 5-8 forwards Alexis Kerns, a sophomore,

and Tina Fulce, a junior. Both are up from the junior varsity.

Sophomore guards Ally Stoltz, 5-5, and Victoria Swigart, 5-7, are also

up from JV.

Junior Kelly Rangel, 5-5, and freshman guard Vanessa Miller, 5-6, are

also new to the team, as is 5-7 junior Tiffany Linsday, who suffered a

broken foot about six weeks ago in a car accident and could be lost for

the season.

“She’s hoping to be back this season,” Thompson said of Linsday, who

had two screws placed in her foot, “but I told her you need to let this

heal. I know how she feels. I had two screws in my knee (in college) and

had to sit on the sidelines. It’s tough when you can’t do anything.”

Newport Harbor is scheduled to play in the University Tournament

starting Dec. 1.

NEWPORT HARBOR GIRLS10 Amanda Campbell, Jr.

11 Alexis Kerns, So.

12 Victoria Swigart, So.

15 Ally Stoltz, So.

21 Jillianne Whitfield, So.

22 Vanessa Miller, Fr.

23 Avita Castillo, Sr.

24 Athena Vasquez, Jr.

32 Tina Fulce, Jr.

34 Kelly Rangel, Jr.

42 Lindsey Woller, Jr.

44 Tiffany Linsday, Jr.

Coach: Jen Thompson