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| Written by Marc Aceves | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Friday, 21 November 2008 | |
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Patterson girls basketball begins a new chapter  Listen up: Patterson High girls basketball coach Jason McCleery talks to his team as they stretch and warm up before practice Thursday. Photo by Elias Funez He never mentions the word “rebuild.” And McCleery has a message for the Tigers’ Western Athletic Conference rivals and anyone else who happens to line up against them. “We’ve moved on since then,” said the third-year coach, referring to last year’s disappointing season-ending loss. “This is a new year. It’s a new group. There’s new energy. “We’re looking forward to this year and the new challenges that this new season brings.” Last season, despite racking up 15 wins, the Tigers fell one game short of the postseason. Patterson lost to Hilmar, 37-36, in the regular-season finale. With only one remaining starter from that nucleus returning, and the addition of some talented younger players, this collection of Tigers is determined to put the past behind it. Twelve new additions to the lineup may be just what Patterson needs to begin anew. And the Tigers still have junior Cassie Coble — last season’s WAC player of the year. Coble averaged 10.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game a season ago. Seniors Lindsey Moeller and Rebecca Hinojos join Coble as returning players.  Patterson's Marissa Chavez handles the ball at midcourt before passing to a teammate during Thursday's practice. Photo by Elias Funez “Our girls know that when Cassie is getting double- and triple-teamed, that they are going to have to step up and score,” McCleery said. “Overall, I’ve been happy with what the girls are doing at practice. “Everybody has been working hard.” The question is: Can the inexperienced Tigers find any offensive rhythm come game time? Patterson will have to rely heavily on Coble, along with the team’s new talent, to pick up the offensive slack left behind by the graduation of Michelle Bancroft, Brooke Borba and Shelby Yamamoto. “I don’t think that we can fill those spots; they were all unique players,” McCleery said. “The girls I have now bring a totally different set of abilities with them. “We lack some offensive experience, but we make up for it with more quickness and athleticism.” The Tigers will need to find their stride if they want to again compete for the WAC title. Last year, Patterson finished 11-4 in league, one game behind Hilmar and two games behind league champion Livingston. The Yellowjackets and the Wolves also lost the majority of their respective rosters, as did fourth-place Orestimba. All of the fresh faces around the league should make for another tightly contested conference race. “This is a brand-new story and a brand-new team,” McCleery said. “We’ll learn and hopefully get better as the season continues.” Patterson opens the preseason today with a pair of scrimmages against Turlock and Tokay. The games will be played at Modesto Christian. Tipoff is slated for 2:50 p.m. Contact Marc Aceves at 892-6187 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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