HYDE – Eight letterwinners, including the starters in most games last season, give the Clearfield Area High School girls basketball a solid nucleus for its second season in the rugged Mountain League.
The returnees for Joey Castagnolo’s 13th season as Lady Bison head coach are seniors Lisa Ambuski, Kristen Butler, Ciara Marsh, Janelle Mumma and Rachel Thompson and juniors Dakota Farmery, Breanna Peters and Brittany Renaud.
Farmery and Peters, a two-year letterwinner, have the size and ability to become one of the top post tandems Castagnolo has had.
Farmery, who is 6-3, was on her way to an outstanding rookie season when an ankle injury sidelined her for the final seven games.
At the time, she was leading the Lady Bisons in scoring and rebounding with several double-doubles. She had tossed in 198 points, a 13.2 average, and reached double figures in 11 of 15 games.
The 5-9 Peters received All-Mountain League Second Team and Progressland First Team honors after netting 227 points, a 10.8 average, and pulling down a team-high 193 rebounds in 21 games.
She tallied 64 points as a reserve in 2009-2010 for a career total of 291.
Butler, also a two-year letterwinner, and Thompson will be counted on for offensive production on the wings. They scored 105 and 181 points, respectively, last season for averages of 4.8 and 8.2.
Ambuski returns to distribute the ball from her point guard position and keep defenses honest as an outside threat. As a junior, she had 111 points, a 5.1 average, and hit 15 three-pointers to share the team lead with Thompson.
Castagnolo, whose record at his alma mater is 157-146, will count on Sheeder and Mumma for help under the basket and Marsh, Renaud and Spencer on the wings. The latter two also are capable of directing the offense at point guard.
Johanna Ryan (50 points, 2.23 ppg) was the only senior on the 2010-11 squad that finished 3-19 with an 0-16 debut in the Mountain League.
The Lady Bisons were 0-10 in the Allegheny Division, which is down to five teams because of the Lewistown-Indian Valley merger into the Mifflin County School District that prompted the league to shift Central Mountain to the Nittany Division with Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte, Penns Valley and Juniata.
Clearfield’s division opponents will be Philipsburg-Osceola, Tyrone, Huntingdon and defending ML champion Central, which defeated BEA 53-43 for the 2011 title.
District 9 Class AAA rivals St. Marys and Punxsutawney top the non-league card that includes Curwensville and DuBois.
Castagnolo is assisted by junior varsity coach Jerry Stewart (13th year) and Stan Solarczyk (7th year).
The roster, with (*) denoting letterwinners:
Seniors – Lisa Ambuski (*), 5-5; Kristen Butler (*), 5-6; Ciara Marsh (*), 5-7; Janelle Mumma, 5-7; Kate Sheeder (*), 5-7; Rachel Thompson (*), 5-7.
Juniors – Dakota Farmery (*), 6-3; Breanna Peters (*), 5-9; Brittany Renaud (*), 5-6.
Sophomores – Brianna Spencer, 5-5; Danelle Billotte, 5-4.
Freshmen – Emily Aveni, 5-7; Sarah Aycock, 5-9; Mary Ishman, 5-7; Sara Lash, 5-9; Tessa Munshower, 5-9; Maggie Sopic, 5-9.
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The schedule, with (ML-AD) designating Mountain League Allegheny Division games and (ML) designating other Mountain League games, is listed below. Varsity tips-off at 7:30 p.m., following junior varsity games which are set for six ‘clock:
December
14 – at Huntingdon (ML-AD); 19 – PUNXSUTAWNEY; 21 – at Central (ML-AD); 23 – at Bellefonte (ML); 28 – at Curwensville.
January
4 – TYRONE (ML-AD); 6 – at Punxsutawney; 9 – BROOKVILLE; 10 – PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA (ML-AD); 12 – at DuBois; 13 – at Penns Valley (ML); 17- at Central Mountain (ML-AD); 20 – BALD EAGLE AREA (ML); 24 – HUNTINGDON (ML-AD); 26 – ST. MARYS; 27 – at Juniata; 30 – PENNS VALLEY.
February
1 – CENTRAL (ML-AD); 3 – at Tyrone (ML-AD); 8 – at Philipsburg-Osceola; 10 – CENTRAL (ML-AD); 13 – CURWENSVILLE.