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FHS girls basketball coach Audrey Taylor still chuckles when she thinks of the 2014-15 team’s historic run.
The team, which would see Adriana Miller become the programs’ all-time leading scorer, captured the NJSIAA Group IV title and made it to the state Tournament of Champions semifinals, the first time the Lady Warriors had made it that far in tournament play.
“I’m humbled by it, I realize how special it was,” Taylor said.
This year, the team has lost Miller as well as six other players from that run, but Taylor said she still likes the team’s chances to go far.
“We’re a young, vibrant, energized team,” she said. “We also have a nice balance of leadership from returnees from last year. I think were gong to bring the same intense offense, bring the same competitive spirit.”
“They all have that will and that want to get better and continue the tradition of what we started and build on from last year,” Taylor said.
Leading the team will be Senior forward Amiyah Rankins, who is still rehabbing from a knee injury suffered late last season.
“She’s back to practicing,” Taylor said.
Also returning from last year’s history making squad are Junior forward Monique Davis-Campbell, Senior guard Tyler Drew, and Brianna Rodriguez.
Aside from Davis-Campbell, other players to watch, Taylor said, are Sophomore guard Camille Grey and Freshman guard Diamond Miller.
If that last name sounds familiar, it should; Diamond Miller is Adrianna’s younger sister, and was part of the Franklin Middle School team that won the Middle School championship last year.
Miller is joined on the varsity squad by Freshman point guard Tianna Jackson, Freshman forward Serena Jackson and Freshman forward Luese Ufuah.
The frosh, Taylor said, are “coming with the experience of winning, which is great, and they’re playing together well, which is always nice.”
Taylor said the teams that will probably give the Lady Warriors the most trouble this season are this same ones that id last year: Rutgers Prep and Gil St. Bernards.”
“They’re always the contenders, part of the top 20 in the state as we are, so we always look at them as the teams to beat,” she said.
Taylor said she doesn’t plan to change the winning strategy much.
“Defense is always something that Im big on,” she said. “Man-to-man intense defense. We may be adding things, but staying with that format.”
Given all that, Taylor said she “likes our chances.”
“I can see us in the sectional,” she said. “Going as far as we did last year all depends on how well we go as a team, and buy into the strategy of team first and ‘no I’s in team’.”
