By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
The Dowagiac varsity basketball team will have its third head coach in five years as Greg Blomgren takes over this season.
Dowagiac, which went 6-15 last year under coach Joe Spitale, who resigned at the end of the 2004 campaign after two seasons at the helm, returns a wealth of talent including standouts guards Katy Stuppy (sophomore) and Holly Lowe (junior).
Also back is senior Kim Luthringer, who will be looked to for interior defense and rebounding this season by Blomgren, who is also the Dowagiac boys' basketball coach.
Besides winning six games last season overall, the Chieftains also picked up the school's first Big 16 Conference West Division victories as it swept arch rival Lakeshore.
Dowagiac would like nothing better than to turn some heads in the Big 16 West Division as it plays in the league for the final time.
The Chieftains will be moving to the Wolverine Conference beginning with the 2006 season.
Stuppy averaged just over 10 points per game last season, while Lowe connected on 46 three-point field goals.
Luthringer will be counted on for scoring and rebounding inside.
Also returning to the Chieftain line up will be seniors Jolynn Hawkins, Sarah Oystn, Becky Cleveland and Amy Wood.
All four seniors saw significant action last season for the Chieftains.
Moving up to the varsity and expected to make a significant contribution this season will be sophomores Kristy Cooper, Beth Williams and Sada Nealy.
Blomgren said that Dowagiac's strengths will also be its quickness and ability to shoot the ball from the outside. The Chieftains' weakness according to the first year coach will be the inside game.
Blomgren is hoping that a successful season in the Big 16 can be a spring board into the Wolverine Conference.
In the Big 16 West Division, Blomgren feels that Niles, with its pair of Division I recruits, is the team to beat. He also feels that Benton Harbor should press the Lady Vikings for the division championship.
Dowagiac will open its season on Tuesday, Aug. 30 when it hosts Berrien Springs. The Chieftains and Lady Shamrocks will tip off at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Edwardsburg Eddies
Hard work and dedication will be the keys to turning the Edwardsburg varsity basketball program into a winner this season.
The Lady Eddies, who were 9-12 overall and 6-8 in the Lakeland Conference, have been working hard in the off season to improve on those numbers.
Edwardsburg coach Mark Zarycki returns a solid nucleus of players for the 2005 season.
Back for the Lady Eddies are guards Julie Harness and Kristin Toney, who both averaged 10 points per game in 2004.
Also back for Edwardsburg are senior Kerri Wood, junior Chrissy Breisch and sophomore Lindsay Moellenberndt, all of whom contributed plenty last season.
Wood and Moellenberndt will patrol the paint for the Lady Eddies, who will also be looking for contributions from seniors Jenny Sutherland, Nikki Focht, Susanna Martino and sophomore Stephanie Koontz.
Cassopolis Rangers
Veteran Cassopolis varsity basketball coach Floyd Foston's Lady Rangers have a tough act to follow.
Coming off one of the school's most successful seasons ever, Foston must find a way to replace leading scorer and rebounder Jealyn Foston.
The Lady Rangers were 21-3 last year and reached the regionals before being eliminated from the state tournament. Cassopolis' district championship was the first at the school in 12 seasons.
Cassopolis was second to Bridgman, which is still being considered by many as the team to beat in the Lakeland Conference.
Cassopolis will use a balanced offense to hopefully offset the loss of Foston, who is playing at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Returning for the 2005 season are senior guard Kelsey Gordon, who averaged 13 points per game, and sophomore point guard Michelle James, who averaged 10 points per game in her freshman campaign.
Also back is junior Dee Dee Hawkins, who averaged eight points per game.
Cassopolis will start the season without senior Shanice Thompson, who is still recovering from a fractured ankle.
The Lady Rangers also have Becky File, Nikitas Nelson, Monique Harris and Amanda Weiss.
Weiss is also recovering from an injury.
Cassopolis hopes to use its quickness and height to pester opponent's offenses.
The Lady Rangers were extremely stingy on defense last season, giving up less than 40 points per game.
If Cassopolis can continue to put the ball in the basket, the Lady Rangers will make another run at the Lakeland Conference title.
Hoping to add some depth to the roster are freshmen twin sisters Tiffany and Tiara Williams.