Warrior girls look to be basketball contender in the tough Marmonte League

Acorn Sports Writer


MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn  UP FOR GRABS-Cristina Nelson of Westlake and Becky Kennedy of Nordhoff try to gain control of the ball during a game last Saturday at the Thousand Oaks girls' basketball tournament.

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn UP FOR GRABS-Cristina Nelson of Westlake and Becky Kennedy of Nordhoff try to gain control of the ball during a game last Saturday at the Thousand Oaks girls’ basketball tournament.

The Westlake girls’ basketball team coached by John D’Agostin won last week’s second annual Thousand Oaks summer girls’ basketball tournament by winning all five games it played.


"It’s a really positive experience for us," D’Agostin said. "I think we’re playing the best that we’ve ever played right now since I’ve been at Westlake."


D’Agostin, headed into his third year as the Warriors’ coach, is next taking his team to San Diego for a tournament where his players will get more preparation for next year’s Marmonte League season.


"There’s a few hundred teams and it’s a great trip for the kids," the Westlake coach said about the tournament in San Diego. "The competition is really good, too. There’s some really good teams."


D’Agostin said getting players to gel as a unit is a primary summer objective.


"One of the things that I’ve tried to work on is getting everybody together to play as a team," D’Agostin said. "With summer, it’s hard to get everybody there. But this year, the commitment level of the kids has really increased. That’s one of the things that’s really improved."


The Warrior coach said playing 20 games already this summer also gives the players vital playing time—experience—necessary to compete in the always tough Marmonte League.


"Next year we definitely want to make the playoffs," said D’Agostin, whose team narrowly missed the playoffs last year and didn’t make it in 2000 either. "To qualify for the playoffs, that’s a goal for us."


The Warrior coach predicted the Marmonte League will be very strong this winter but he also expects more consistency from his squad.


"Last year we were pretty competitive in the preseason," D’Agostin said. "(But when) we got to league, we struggled. This year we want to be one of the top teams in the league."


Six varsity players return, including Jennifer Schlinz, a junior.


Freshman Kathryn Scardino is a promising newcomer.


"It shows that we can compete in league next year and really have a good chance of winning," Schlinz said, assessing the T.O. Tourney championship. "At the beginning of the summer, it was kind of rough, but we’ve been getting a lot better and working together as a team more."


Schlinz also stands out for the Westlake volleyball team coached by Doug Magorien. She splits her time over the summer playing both sports.


Other members of the Westlake summer basketball team include Christina Nelson, a sophomore-to-be who played junior varsity last year, Torrie Patton, a junior who played varsity, Khrista Baumgartner, a senior (varsity), Jill McNulty, a junior (JV), Megan Ackerman, a sophomore (JV), Brittara Blaine, a sophomore (varsity), Danielle Diaz, a sophomore (varsity), Megan Gizatullin, a sophomore (frosh/soph), and Alexa Cafferty, a sophomore (frosh/soph).




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