Eagles look to repeat

With the majority of its starting lineup returning, the Covenant girls basketball team is poised for a repeat of last season’s performance in which the Eagles captured their third straight League of Independent Schools Division II championship.

Covenant went on to a fifth-place finish in the state with a 15-10 record.

Leading the way for Covenant is 6-foot-1 senior center Ellen Smethurst, who was the team’s top scorer and rebounder last season. Smethurst is nearing the 1,000-point plateau in her career, and will likely surpass that mark this year. She earned All-LIS honors and was named to the league’s all-tournament team.

Smethurst, who is also a standout for the volleyball team, is a team captain, and her leadership will be key for the young team.

Also returning for the Eagles is sophomore forward Addi Bolin, who was the team’s second-leading scorer last season. In the backcourt, both Gabby Mirabelli and Kelly Crispens return. Mirabelli, a junior, led the team in steals. Covenant was dealt a blow early on, as senior forward Logan Cox will be out most of the season with a separated shoulder.

But the Eagles also have a host of new faces who coach Mike Thornton expects to make an impact. Although they lack experience, they don’t lack athleticism.

Newcomers include guards Laura Osborne, Emily Klein and Nikki Holzman. Klein and Holzman helped lead Covenant’s soccer team to a state title in the spring. Emily Smethurst, a sophomore forward and Ellen’s sister, also joins the team. A member of the volleyball team, she earned all-state honors this fall. Another first-year player is freshman Taylor Peed, who will back up Smethurst at center. She excelled as an eighth-grader for the school’s softball team in the spring.

“With our youth, we will have to work extremely hard on the defensive end to make up for lack of experience,“ said Thornton.

Covenant opens its schedule on Thursday with a league contest at Fredericksburg Academy, and will visit Tandem Friends and Liberty Christian before its home opener on Dec. 11. The Eagles will get a tough test, as they play host to Steward, which is also expected to contend for the LIS title.

Saints start life without star forward Pye

St. Anne’s-Belfield begins the task of moving on without Taysha Pye, who led the Saints to the state semifinals last year and is now playing at William and Mary. Pye, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder (27.3 ppg, 11.2 rpg), earned all-state honors and was named the All-Central Virginia player of the year. The versatile athlete also dished out 5.4 assists per game and recorded 4.6 steals per game.

But the Saints, which went unbeaten in the LIS (Div. I) last year, have a trio of seniors — Ladi Smith, Chantel Baker and Shelby Linthicum — who will help fill the void.

STAB, which is piloted by Phil Stinnie, hopes to use its speed in the backcourt to its advantage with Smith (8.2 ppg, 3.4 apg) and Baker (7.2 ppg, 3.0 apg). Linthicum, a 5-foot-10 forward, will provide a presence in the post. She averaged 6.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last year.

Those veterans will help lead the way for a group of youngsters, including freshmen guards Sarah Toliver and Lexi Peck, and sophomore forward Sarah Imovbioh.

Mavericks look to contend

The Miller School is hoping for another banner season following its state runner-up finish in VISGBA Division III last year. And the Mavericks, which have six seniors on their roster, have the experience and depth to do so.

They’ll have to fight their way in a competitive Blue Ridge Conference featuring tough Carlisle, Virginia Episcopal and Liberty Christian squads, which should all be in the race for the league championship. Carlisle is the defending state champion, while both LCA and VES return four starters.

Miller has several returning seniors who will fill the hole left with the departure of guard Kai Washington, who transferred to Tandem Friends. The team has multiple scoring threats, including Jaime Fleming (15.1 ppg), who earned all-state honors last season. Also back are Cassie Kirby (9.1 ppg) and Christine Nyobe, a forward who led the team in rebounding last year and has drawn collegiate interest.

They’ll need to find a way to mesh with several newcomers, including a talented sophomore, Ashley Bowles, a transfer from Monticello. Bowles has the ability to score and rebound. Other new faces include two members of the backcourt, senior Alex Tamez and freshman Nicole Courtney.

TFS to battle for title

Tandem Friends is looking to improve upon its second-place finish in the Delaney Athletic Conference and has all the right tools to compete for the league crown.

The squad returns four starters, and will add Miller transfer Washington to the mix.

Washington earned all-state honors last season and will help carry the scoring load along with junior Hattie Nguyen. The forward averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game last year and earned first team all-conference accolades.

TFS will rely on its quickness and experience as it will likely battle with Highland School for the DAC title.

Also returning to the team are Emma Perkinson (6 ppg, 5 rpg), Hannah Hellman (6 ppg, 4 rpg), Lizzie Stewart (5 ppg, 6 rpg) and Whitney Martin (5 ppg, 5 rpg).