Westmoore Basketball Preview

Westmoore Basketball Preview

By: Tyler McComas

Westmoore turned a corner on Valentine’s Day night last season. After limping into a late-season matchup at Mustang with just three wins, the Jaguars did the unthinkable and collected a 69-63 upset on the road. It was a moment that signified a coach and his team were about to turn things around.

Now, entering year two of the Todd Milwee era, the Jags are out to prove even more exciting things are coming to the program. Leading the charge will be David Owusu, who led the team in points and rebounds last season. He had 32 points in the upset win over Mustang and 28 points the next week in the playoffs against the No. 1 team in 6A.

“He’s improved quite a bit over the summer,” said Millwee. “We’re really excited about him. He’s going to do big things for us this year.”

Along with Owusu, Tyshon Covington is expected to play big minutes. Zach Hays and Evan Barber, who both broke into the starting lineup last year as a freshman, Enrique Molina, a high-quality ball handler and shooter, and Lamondo Cargile, who’s a move-in but played with the team during the summer, will also be big pieces for the Jags this season.”

“Towards the end of last season our chemistry really clicked,” said Millwee. ”We were young and small but you could kind of feel it coming together. That stuck throughout quarantine and through the summer. We’re excited about this season.”

Though undersized in most matchups, the Jags will counter with several guards that can both handle the ball and shoot it well. Look out for players such as Sihr Manuel, Xavier Williams, Zion Faboro, Zach Bandy, Anthony Ramos and Rhett Monroe.

Girls Team

There are many reasons why Matt Thornton is optimistic about his team. Sure, he’s fielding a team that’s lacking in experience, but the core group of the Jags will still be able to do three important things well: shoot, handle the ball and score in the paint.

Leading the way for Westmoore will be Ryan Franklin and Jaiden Smith, who’s entering her third year as a starter. Franklin will be counted on as the key inside presence on the team, while Smith is expected to provide both an offensive and defensive punch from the guard position. Brittany Romines will also be a key contributor, as her senior leadership is vital for a team that’s still getting its feet wet at a lot of positions.

“We have a lot of kids that didn’t play in a lot of varsity games this year,” said Thornton. “This year is one of those where I feel like we’ll be better at the end of the year than we are right now. We have a lot of room to grow but we also have a lot of good pieces. We’re excited.”

Kayleigh Danscuk is another senior that will be counted on to play big minutes at one of the guard spots. She’ll likely be a starter alongside sophomore Albany Briles, who has shown a lot of promise in her young career. A key question for the Jags is whether Tiffany McCain can fully recover from a knee issue that’s hampered her. If that happens, she’ll provide quality depth that’ll be needed to make a deep playoff run in 6A-1.

“I really like our chemistry,” said Thornton. “They’re intelligent and not just good basketball players, but they’re also great people. That makes a difference.” –19SM