Barbers Hill out to prove itself

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Barbers Hill out to prove itself

By Michael Pineda

Baytown Sun 

Published November 2, 2007

Barbers Hill head coach John Chancellor does not compare himself to Aristotle but he does preach philosophy over program.

The results have been impressive.

The Lady Eagles won their second district championship in a row under Chancellor last season, advancing to the regional quarterfinals, where they fell to state runner-up Dickinson.

This season, new pieces will be fed into the lineup. Barbers Hill will have three new starters on the court for its Tuesday season opener at St. Agnes.

“My program is always evolving and that is one of the main gripes of the middle school coaches,†Chancellor said. “What we do have is a philosophy of hard work, fun and enthusiasm. I want my kids to look forward to coming to practice.â€

The Lady Eagles will replace four seniors from last year, three of whom were starters. Of the returning players, only three have significant varsity experience.

Chancellor’s team will have a lot of inexperience, but that does little to derail his enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

“We will be very inexperienced, but I think that will make us very hungry,†Chancellor said. “We’re on a mission to prove ourselves.

“Because of our youth, we will be very aggressive and very determined. We have to search for our roles and identity. We are pretty athletic, but not very tall.â€

Senior Keely Rivera and sophomore Paris Carter are the two returning starters for the Lady Eagles. Rivera, a small forward, battled a nagging injury throughout volleyball and is not 100 percent healthy.

“Her injury is not a concern,†Chancellor said. “We’re going to turn her loose and not hold her back. I want her to have a good time and make her senior year a positive experience.â€

Paris Carter gives Barbers Hill a scoring threat at guard. Carter has good range on her shot and also is strong enough to take the ball to the basket.

“I expect to see her mature as a player and come into her own,†Chancellor said. “I think her overall game will explode this year. In fact, we have four or five kids that I think will have breakout seasons.â€

One of those also expected to have a breakout season is senior Shannon Mudd. Mudd came in off the bench for Kassi Sylvia last season and gave the Lady Eagles a strong presence in the post.

“Mudd is going to surprise a lot of people with how strong she is,†Chancellor said. “We will also have 5-11 sophomore Jasmine Carter, who is very quick and athletic.â€

Junior Cirby Manchaca and senior Lauren Sadler bring varsity experience on the wing for the Lady Eagles. One player that will bring a lot of potential to the program is junior Erica Carter, who Chancellor feels could be a great player in the program.

Seniors Toya Peters and Rebecca Fisher will challenge for court time as will junior Britney Gibbs, who did not play last year because of a knee injury. Sophomores Jordan Cobb and Jill Coon were both members of the junior varsity last season and will be looked on for sparks off of the bench.

“They provide depth that we have been lacking,†Chancellor said. “We expect to go deeper this year in our lineup. One of the biggest advantages that we have is coach Sharlene Barnett and coach Hannah Wells. They do a great job.

“This team is a lot of fun to coach, a lot of fun to teach. They have taken ownership of this team and want it to succeed. I have never had a team that is so unselfish.â€

Barbers Hill will be among those favored to battle for the District 21-4A crown this season along with Smiley, Crosby, New Caney and Galena Park.

We’re going to be in the hunt,†Chancellor said. “We will be able to compete.â€