NASELLE, Wash. The girls really had a super summer season and we showed marked improvement, Naselle girls basketball coach Russ Hickman said. We dont have a lot of overall depth or team speed in the program, but our top nine or 10 girls are all playing well in our early practices.

Last season, the Comets finished 11-13 after splitting four games at district. Gone are spark plug point guard Nicole Laney and shooting guard Emily Green. Returning for the Comets will be reining Pacific 2B League MVP Carley Kitzman who averaged 12.7 points per game last season as a sophomore. She was also the leading rebounder. 

Nicole Tarabochia was second in rebounding and rolled in 6.6 points per game as a forward. Guard Haleigh See, who has been hampered by injuries this year, scored 5.3 points per game last season and Taylor Wasmundt added 4.8 points as a shooting guard. A healthy See could take over the point guard position for the Comets. Kaelee Dearmore averaged 4.2 points in 2010, but missed almost half the games because of injury and illness. Her availability is questionable for this season.

Underclassmen hoping to contribute are Mackenzie Matthews, Vicky Corona, and Ciara Sandell who all saw some varsity action last year. Freshmen Kayti Nelson and Katie Green have also shown promise in summer basketball and early turnouts for Hickman. I am impressed by how well our younger girls played in the summer. We would play everyone equally and they held their own against everyone we played.

Also on the roster are Christina Carter, Karianne Condon, Abbey DaVall, Katie Olson, Haley Pine, Kirsten Scrabeck, Rachel Underwood, and Mary Wirkkala. Veteran coach Greg Nelson will again assist.

Hickman said, With the new (regional) state tournament format our season is condensed. It looks like well be playing a game and then having a practice and then another game and so on and not have a lot of time to work on fundamental skills, which is not good for the game. We are ahead of where we were last year as a team, but Ill miss the extra days of practice as will everyone else.

Offensively the Comets will spread the court and attack the basket said Hickman. Our weak side cutter series was successful last season against most teams and those that adjusted we will have to work on other options. 

Defensively we will try to pressure teams. Even though we lack team speed we will use full- and half-court pressure to get our opponents away from what they want to do when they have the basketball.

Hickman sees Northwest Christian from the Olympia area as being league favorites. South Bend is much improved and North Beach and Raymond also have very talented teams. Ocosta and Valley appear to be in rebuilding mode. We hope to be competitive, Hickman said.

In the Central League Adna, Toutle Lake, Napavine, and PeEll are very, very good according to Hickman. With the new regional state tournament format four District IV teams will qualify. The new WIAA format shortens the season by one week and dictates that only eight teams will travel to Spokane instead of 16, which has been the case since Washington basketball tournaments began in 1931.

The Comets open their season by hosting 1A powerhouse Toledo Monday and Warrenton Dec. 1.  They then visit Ilwaco Dec. 6 and Wahkiakum Dec. 9 before opening league play at South Bend Dec. 11.