A year after advancing to the Nassau County Finals, the Lady Dragons of Division Avenue High School find themselves with the daunting task of rebuilding. Last season saw the graduation of all five starters as well as two key players off the bench. This season the Blue Dragons are currently third in their conference with a 2-2 record.
This year’s squad is led by returning players Sue Ballantyne, Amanda McDonough, Gina Fader, Laura Stuart, and Taylor Calabrese. Susan leads the team in scoring averaging 15 points per game. Gina Fader is a defensive specialist who leads the team in taking charges. Sophomores Laura and Taylor are part of the base core that the Blue Dragons hope to build around. Both girls played varsity ball last season as freshmen and are now mainstays in the starting lineup. Laura leads the team in rebounding while Taylor is the floor leader and runs the show on the court from her point guard position. Second year player Amanda McDonough was lost early in the schedule with a season ending injury.
Added to the returning veterans are; Kristin Aquila, Trish Mollo, Tiffany Rodriguez, Julie Weidler, Jamie Mase, and Darci Lawyer. Jamie and Darci are seniors who came out for the first time this year to play varsity basketball. They have added spirit and hard work that should pay dividends for Division. Tiffany and Julie are juniors who were a huge part of last year’s junior varsity team. Both girls have contributed valuable minutes so far this year. Kristin and Trish are part of a strong sophomore core that the Blue Dragons hope will eventually develop into a contender for the county title.
