This idea sprung up out of the phrase, "She's one of the best (fill in the blank) I've seen since I've been here.
I started compiling a list of athletes I'd want to put out on the court/field if I had my pick of every player to have put on a Douglas uniform since I started working for The Record-Courier in 2003.
Just for the heck of it, I thought I'd put together a seperate list of the players I absolutely would not want to see on the other side of the ball. This isn't necessarily saying that these are the best overall to play on the other side, it's more the players who just gave the Tigers the most headaches during their high school careers.
Keep in mind, all of these picks are completely my opinion. No coaches had any input, and some omissions may simply be the result of a poor memory. But without further ado, here is the 2007-08 version of the All-Since-I've-Been-Here basketball teams:
Center
First Team
Jessica Waggoner (2005-present): Waggoner has an extremely high ceiling when it comes to potential and came into her own this season, sharing regional player of the year honors.
She is the latest in a long and strong line of dominating post players to come through Douglas, but with one more year left to play, she may end up being one of the best.
Second Team
Julie Gingrich (2003-04): I came in a year after the Emily Haas era, but Gingrich was a solid defender and stepped into some big shoes in a big way her senior year. She was strong throughout her career with the Tigers and later went on to play at Portland University.
Forwards
First Team
Erin Brinkmeyer (2001-05): Brinkmeyer was our R-C Athlete of the Year in 2005, which is an award normally given to a multi-sport athlete. Her efforts as a four-year starter for the Lady Tiger basketball team, however, couldn't go unmentioned. She left the school as the program's all-time winningest player. She saw time at point and shooting guards during her career, but finished as a wing. Her outside shot and ability to drive inside the lane helped her to all-region honors.
Brittany Puzey (2002-05): Puzey's ability to slash to the basket got her more free-throw attempts than anyone else in the region in 2005. She also had a decent shot from outside and was a tenacious defender and floor leader.
Second Team
Monica Knight (2004-06): Knight primarily played the post for Douglas, but was an all-league and all-region honoree her senior year. She was the senior leader of an otherwise young and unproven team and managed to lead the Tigers into the playoffs.
Dana Pardee (2004-07): Pardee played in three of her four high school seasons at Douglas and teamed with Waggoner in the 2007 campaign to form one of the top frontcourt tandems in the region.
Shooting Guards
First Team
Bridget Maestretti (2004-08): Maestretti was a four-year starter who began her career as an off-guard. She developed into a solid point guard and earned all-region honors as a senior.
Second Team
Kellei Kizer (2004-05): Kizer was a pure shooter that opposing teams have to develop defenses for whenever she set foot on the floor.
Point Guards
First Team
Tammy Gough (2002-05): Gough transfered in from California before her sophomore year and proceeded to run the offense over her next three seasons. Her shot from halfcourt to beat the buzzer against Reed in the playoffs as a sophomore will go down as one of the top plays in the program's history.
Second Team
Allie Hughes (2005-08): Hughes spent limited time at the point, but came into her own as an off-guard by the end of her senior year. A solid defender who could hit from outside in key situations, Hughes did subtle things throughout her career to change the complexion of the game.
Center
Anita Burdick, North Valleys (2004-07): Burdick (6-3), now at the College of Southern Idaho, was a load inside that could take over a game in the paint at times. She boasted a good pair of hands and had a knack for finishing around the basket.
Power Forward
Caitlyn Anderson, Galena (2003-06): Anderson was a four-year starter for the Grizzlies who earned co-regional player of the year honors as a senior. The 5-10 forward later signed with Weber State.
Small Forward
Raimy Novacek, Reno (2004-2008): Novacek was another four-year player who established herself as a relentless slasher. She led the Huskies to the regional title this year and shared regional player of the year honors with Waggoner.
Shooting Guard
Kaylan King, Reno (2003-04): King was arguably one of the top 3-point shooters to ever come through the Northern 4A. She now plays for St. Cloud State University.
Point Guard
Maria Moore, Reed (2003-04): Moore now plays for Texas Tech, but she was a pure terror in the backcourt during her tenure. She was a two-time All-America honorable mention.
Utility
Johnna Ward, Spring Creek (2004-07): Ward quietly made a name for herself on the outskirts of the state and finished her high school career as the 79th ranked player in the country. She ended up signing with Nevada, where she has put together a solid freshman year.
Judging by the looks of the recently-released honor roll for the fall semester at Douglas High School, Tiger athletes have taken some large steps toward breaking down the "jock" stereotype.
Of the 143 Douglas students to post a GPA higher than 4.0 (Douglas weights its GPAs due to advanced placement classes), mor than 50 percents are athletes.
I counted no fewer than 84 roster spots in the athletic program occupied by athletes with the "4.0-plus" distinction.
It's truly a case of the "student" being emphasized in the phrase "student-athlete"
This year's girls' basketball team tied for No. 2 on the all-time wins list at Douglas with 22. Who did they tie with?
- The Douglas baseball team debuted a new set of road uniforms Thursday. The Tigers matched their new home "whites" from last year with a set of greys that include the word "Douglas" emblazoned across the chest in old-fashioned black lettering with white outlining and old English numbers.
- Speaking of baseball, Douglas catcher Jordan Hadlock and second baseman Jeff Crozier combined to drive in the team's first seven runs of the season.
- The Douglas softball team had 10 different players record at least one RBI during the tournament in Sacramento.
- I know the point has been made here many times before, but the Douglas track & field team has been among the top five or six in the region for the past two seasons, even though it didn't have a track to practice on. I can't wait to see what the team can do with a couple years of working out on a world-class facility.
When the Phoenix Suns moved Shawn Marion to Miami for an aging Shaquille O'Neal in a midseason trade, the move was widely criticized.
I'm guessing after Sunday's 94-87 win over defending-champ San Antonio, during which O'Neal scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Phoenix is feeling pretty darn good about the trade.
For those of you who might have missed the memo, March is National Frozen Food Month.
Somehow, I have trouble penciling this one in with Domestic Violence Awareness Month or Black History Month.
However, just in case you're interested, January is Prune Breakfast Month, April 16 is National Eggs Benedict Day, July 18 is National Caviar Day, March 14 is National Potato Chip Day, Nov. 12 is National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day and (last but not least) Aug. 8 is Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor's Porch Night.
The 2004-05 Tigers went 22-7. The all-time leaders are the 2001-02 Tigers who went 26-6.
