In the second installment of the preseason Top 10 teams in the city, teams 6 through 10 are covered.
6. Johnson- The Lady Jags are in new territory. Basketball respect is now due for the recently opened school. After a D1 college coach visited the campus and told a competing local high school coach about the talent at Johnson, the coach howled that he beat Johnson by 30 twice last year. An exaggerated claim but those days are over. Baylor bound and USA 16u guard Recee' Caldwell has some help in El Paso transfer and D1 bound Gabbi Bowie. Bowie is as athletic a kid as any in the city. Her pull up jumper from 15 is text book. Johnson also has a Top 3 Player in the city for 2015, Erica Sanders. Sanders is another D1 bound and very athletic guard with great open court scoring ability. Coach Audra Bredemeyer has added another quality transfer in 5'11 soccer star, Morgan Stern. Katie Burcham and Brie Foresman give Johnson a team of at least 5 players that are capable of scoring double digits on any given night. The unknown dynamic of going from little talent to possibly too much is the only thing keeping them out of my Top 3 in the city. If pecking order and offensive cohesion are established, Johnson could be the best team in the city. However, they are probably still a year away.
7. Floresville- The Floresville Tigers can play with bigger schools because of two words; Talent and Coaching! Southeastern Louisiana bound scoring machine Erica Hernandez will be out to put an exclamation point on a great HS career. Hernandez is one of the few kids in the city who can consistently create her own shot off of the bounce. She is joined by another efficient scorer in Brittany Aikens. Aikens is poised for a big senior year to help solidify her eventual college standing. Add the very physically strong post , Shelby Leinneweber and the Tigers should make noise on the city's scene. Coach Greg Williams is a disciplined tactician that allows his best players to do what they do best, play. A one point loss to a Top 5 Reagan team last season and blow out over a good young Brennan team shows that
8. Brennan- The Bears return all of their players from a district championship team last season. The super gifted Tanaeya Boclair gives the Brennan the best post scorer in the city. 2013 guard Alyssa Crockett is not only one of the most improved players in the city but she is the spiritual leader of the team. Her tenacious attitude and play makes her one of the toughest guards to contain in the city. She will live at the free throw line. Coach Randy Evans is a very adept coach and employs numerous defensive strategies to disrupt opponents. Watch for the emergence of 6'1 2014 post player, Eliza Martinez. She is a rebounding space eater that can blocks shots and will allow the aggressive guards of Brennan to pressure all over the court. The supporting cast at Brennan is impressive and they will go 8-9 deep. If Evans can hold off a strong Boerne Champion team, Brennan has a great shot at winning 4 district titles in a row.
9. Judson- Judson is always loaded with athletic players that play hard and this year's team is no different. The difference in helping the Rockets realize their potential is this is year two of the Triva Corrales era at Judson. Corrales is arguably the brightest coach in the city in terms of game adjustments and dictating tempo. Judson has a very capable PG in Samantha Allen. The wing play of LB Brown and Shameka Brown will produce defensive steals and create the type of turnovers not usually seen in local HS basketball. Sharp shooting guard Krissy Chavez will get a ton of open looks due to the slashing of the Brown sisters and Allen. Look for a breakout year from forward Simone Fields, who must make up for the huge loss of Cheyenne Miller to injury.
10. Stevens- Anissa Hastings is a coach that kids will run through walls for. That type of loyalty, defensive intensity and passion will make Stevens one of the best teams in the city. The very talented young players from Stevens will help veterans like Niclole Salazar and Elexus Allen. Allen is long and terrific on defense. Salazar is a savvy PG that is a tough and spirited leader. Keep an eye on Amalya Lewison and Deleesha Monroe at the 4 & 5 positions. Knowing Hastings, this will be one of the best defensive teams in the city. Losing Western Kentucky guard Alexis Govan and the sharp shooting Alexis Sendejo will be impossible to replace but the current Falcon team can not be taken lightly.
