2011-12 Preview: Sachem East Girls Basketball

Last season was a pleasant surprise for the Sachem East girls basketball program. Coming off a high from the 2009-10 season after winning a state title and witnessing the greatness of Kristen Doherty, the girls put together another championship run in 2010-11, but were stopped short in the county final by a hot Deer Park team (coached by Sachem alum Mike Gennaro).

Young with limited experience, last year’s group of girls extended their efforts to great lengths and continued on a dominant stretch. This year should be no different, if not better.

Led by Meagan Doherty, Katie Doherty and Kathleen Everson, with a strong and talented supporting cast, Sachem East will once again be one of the top teams in Suffolk County.

You can expect the same strong teams as usual in League I: William Floyd, Longwood, Ward Melville and Commack. Not much has changed in the county either with Northport, North Babylon and Whitman staying strong. Lindenhurst will be a threat later in the year as the Bulldogs catch fire.

Head coach: Matt Brisson, 8th season at Sachem East

Last year: Lost to Deer Park in county final

Key Players

• Meagan Doherty: Can play point guard or shooting guard. Will be one of the strongest players in the county. Is fully health after tearing her MCL two years ago.
• Kathleen Everson: She is a tough match up and will be difficult to guard. She can play a big role away from the basket, but also create problems for opponents with her ball handling skills, which have improved from last season.
• Katie Doherty: Will play point guard or shooting guard and is a vocal and physical leader on the team.
• Emily Carmel: According to Sachem coach Matt Brisson, Carmel is a lights out shooter and will be utilized as a shooting guard and forward in the three position.
• Samantha Drake: A twin along with sister Alexandra, can play inside and outside and will be a major reason for Sachem’s success.
• Alexandria Drake: Alexandra is more of an inside player and will have equal strengths on the court like her sister and teammates.

Role players: From seniors Gina Borgia to Amanda Alfano, to younger players like Katie Trombetta and Kayla McKeveny to Christina Schretzman, who will do damage off the bench, there is an interesting mixture of vocal leaders and up and coming physical threats on Sachem East’s roster as usual. 

Expectations: "This is a team that has all the potential in the world to do really well," Brisson said. "At the same time I’m not looking at our team and saying, ‘wow, we’re excellent at this.’ We do a lot of things pretty well, but don’t excel at any one thing. We’re well-rounded, good basketball kids. I’m hoping along the lines we can adapt."

Key Loses: Victoria Hassett and Kelsey Ferguson were key assets to the team their entire careers and their leadership ability was second to none. They set a great example for the younger girls in the program

Key Games

• Home opener: Ward Melville at Sachem, December 20
• Baldwin Tournament: Sachem travels, December 28
• Kaz Jersey Retirement: Sachem East at Sachem North, January 7
• Non-league showdown: Long Island Lutheran at Sachem East, February 2
• Program Day: Sachem North at Sachem East, February 4