6. Stevens- Anissa Hastings solidified herself as one of the best coaches in the city. Many of us already knew so but after "upsetting" Churchill in the 1st game of the season and having a great year, all had to sit up and take notice. Stevens is home to one of the best athletes and defenders in SA, Elexus Allen. Allen can guard four positions locally and should be D1 bound. The heart and soul of the group is a pesky defender and tough as nail guard, Samira Rodriguez. Hastings and her 3/4 court trap press baffles many teams. Look out for a breakout year from Deleesha Monroe. Monroe is a local high school version of Danielle Adams. Hastings' pecking order, discipline and tenacity will have the Falcons in the Top 10 in the city and a threat come playoff time.
7. Judson- Coach Triva Corrales is one of the best our city has to offer. She is pretty loaded this season with D1 and D2 bound athletes. These include LB Brown, Sam Allen, Simone Fields and Shameka Brown. The Corrales crew will make their presence felt in district and beyond. Having defensive specialists such as the Brown sisters and Allen will surely stump plenty of offensive schemes this season. Fields is one of the best low post scorers locally. She is a D1 power forward with good hands and soft touch. Early word is that Judson has a lot young talent and may be as deep as any team in the city.
8. John Jay- In SA, a proficient scorer can always keep teams in games. Destiny Amezquita is as good a HS scorer as any in the city. Amezquita and Aleeya Harris will lead Jay to an all out battle with Stevens for a district title. Kaetlyn McCuellar, Brittany Leonard, and Ashia McLauren team up to make Jay a deep and talented squad. McCuellar and Leornard will stretch the D with the 3ball. McLauren will touch paint and get free throw attempts. Harris is the key. Harris is due for a double double season .Besides talent, Jay has the coaching of one of the winningest coaches in the city, Mike Floyd and toughness! When Jay beats higher ranked opponents throughout the season, it will not be an "upset", they have the tools to win.
9. Churchill- Having one of the best players in the city and one of the best coaches, Churchill will contend for district title again. The loss of Jordan Holub and Dani Espinoza will hurt their chances at State but there is not doubt the Chargers will win locally. As stated in regards to Reagan, the lack of a shot clock will allow Cal Wulfsberg to keep more talented teams in check. Having the brilliant Leslie Vorpahl helps. Receiving multiple screens in one possession, Vorpahl runs her team like an expert band leader. Look for her to put up huge numbers as she lost two capable scorers that frequently ate off of her assists. Mickey Flores is a very physical defender and touches paint often. Look for her to put up double digits most games to become the 2nd option for the Chargers.
10. Brandeis- Going out on a limb, Brandeis will shock plenty of teams this season. What many forget is that the Broncos lost twice to Top 5 Steele by a total of 4 points last season. They also beat Stevens and Jay. Mykel Costly is the best shot blocker in the city. She should be a double double kid this season. Do not be surprised if she has a triple double w/ blocks at least once. PG Hannah Thompson will steady the ship and is set for a good year after a productive summer. Kelsey Glassburn can hit the open three and is a capable scorer. New coach Jennifer Brewer allows her players to go. Brandeis may go further than many expect.
