Friday, Nov. 21, 2008

Lady Panthers Learning to Battle with Best

CHHS Basketball

By Zach Warner

Staff Writer

Sandwiching a three-game winning streak between some losses, the Colleyville Heritage girls basketball team’s 3-3 record might seem like the Lady Panthers are battling an up-and-down start to the season.

However, that isn’t the case, as Dianna Sager’s team hasn’t shown signs of inconsistency or lack of focus. There have been more ups than downs and plenty of things the Lady Panthers coach has been pleased with, even in Colleyville’s losses.

"We’re learning something in every game," said Sager, whose team prepares to host Cleburne at 6 tonight and Denton Ryan at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25. "We have had a chance to win every game.

"We’re 3-3, but the teams we’ve lost to, those are teams that normally get deep in the playoffs," she said. "Those are the caliber of teams we need to be playing."

The ability to compete with some solid girls basketball programs was perfectly demonstrated in the Lady Panthers’ 51-46 loss to Mansfield Summit on Tuesday. Trailing 20-8 after the first quarter, Colleyville clawed its way back into the contest to cut it to 38-34 heading into the fourth and actually tied the score at 46-46 with about 1:20 left in the game.

Despite the valiant effort, the Lady Panthers eventually fell to Summit, a team that advanced to the 5A regional semifinals last season and that is ranked No. 8 in the state by the Texas Girls Coaches Association.

"It was a game we could have won, which speaks to how well we’ve played against the level of teams that we have faced," said Sager, whose team was led by Alexia Standish’s 21 points.

The Lady Panthers impressed in their previous games as well. Hosting the Colleyville Heritage Tournament last weekend, Sager’s team advanced to the championship before losing to another highly-regarded team in Mansfield Timberview by a 43-30 final. En route to the title match, Colleyville defeated Paris (59-43 final), Lewisville (47-34) and Cedar Hill in a thrilling 54-53 victory.

The Lady Panthers also opened the season against a tough Marcus team, falling by a 39-35 final on Nov. 11.

"Against those teams, they showed me that they can make smart decisions down the stretch," Sager said. "They’re gaining confidence in each other."

Panthers Prep for Tough Start

Meanwhile, the Colleyville Heritage boys team intends to improve their level of play while facing a couple of solid programs as they start their season this week.

The Panthers faced Marcus on Tuesday and are scheduled to travel to Irving at 8 tonight to take on the Tigers. Colleyville boys coach Greg Gober hopes his team raises its level of play from what he’s seen from the group in its scrimmages last week.

"There’s been a lot of really good and a lot of really bad," said Gober, who lost eight players from a team that posted a 31-4 record last season. "We’ve just got to make sure that we understand that our biggest strength has got to be our effort.

"We can’t just coast in games, take a night off and think we’ll get by," he said. "We’re going to have to play hard every night."

Gober describes Irving as incredibly athletic, with guards bigger than some of his team’s posts. Although Irving, as well as Marcus in Colleyville’s first game, will present an early challenge, that’s exactly what the coach wants for his young Panthers team.

"Some teams think it’s better to ease in and get your feet wet, but I like our team to jump in head first," Gober said. "It gives you a better idea of where you stand right off the bat.

"We could easily be 0-2 if we don’t give the effort we ought to," he said. "It’s going to be an eye opener right away."