Fenwick girls hoop ready to take the next step

The Bishop Fenwick girls? basketball team finished 14-9 last season, a performance coach Adam DeBaggis called a success. Now, with DeBaggis having to plug in new faces to replace two departed seniors, it is all about building on the progress made last year.?We would have liked to have gone further,” DeBaggis said. “We had a good year and a good record. This year we are a younger team but with good experience and we are trying to build.”That experience comes in the form of a slew of players who joined his varsity squad as freshmen and are now upperclassmen.When DeBaggis, who is entering his fourth season as coach, looks for leadership and experience, he finds it in Lexie Rose. The only senior on his squad, Rose, DeBaggis said, is tough as nails and sets the tone for her teammates.?She’s hard-nosed,” he said. “She’s a great leader and communicator, and she is our toughest player.”A key member of the Crusaders is Colleen Corcoran, a junior who lead the team in offense as a sophomore. DeBaggis slots her in at the center position, but notes that Corcoran is a threat from all over the court.?She is more of an athletic center,” he said. “She is physical but she can also shoot. She’s a special athlete and we think she’ll take the next step.”On the other side of the ball, DeBaggis has a player straight from the Tony Allen school of pesky defending.?Sydney Brennan is really quick and really long,” DeBaggis said of Brennan’s wingspan. “She is annoying (on the floor). She bothers other offenses and steals a lot of balls.”DeBaggis said his squad may only be 10 deep, but all will contribute. He expects depth contributions from junior defensive specialist Ellen Fantozzi, among others. As for where he sees his team going this year, DeBaggis believes his squad has the tools to succeed.?This is my fourth year, and each year we’ve gotten better,” he said. “We’re trying to take the next step. We have the potential for big things, but it all comes down to execution.”