Colfax set to cash in on senior talent

Colfax High girls basketball coach Dan Hicks didn't hesitate one bit when asked what the big difference is between his 2007-08 Lady Falcons and last year's squad that went 19-6 and finished in a tie for second place in the Pioneer Valley League but was eliminated from the Div. IV playoffs in the first round."Basically, this is a senior team this season," said Hicks about the Lady Falcons who are off to a 3-0 start heading into today's opening round of the 30th annual Duane Millet Tournament in Oroville."Last year we had just one senior on our team and I think at times it showed," said Hicks who is entering his ninth year at the helm of the girls program at Colfax."We now have four players who have been at the varsity level since their freshman or sophomore years and that should be a plus for us."Hicks hopes that his team's experience pays dividends this season as the Lady Falcons hope to challenge defending PVL champion Placer by the time league play rolls around."Placer by all rights is the league favorite," said Hicks. "Whether we can challenge them in league depends a lot on how we jell during the preseason."Hicks has his squad off to a good start this season. After dropping a tight overtime game to Del Oro in the section's no-count Foundation Game, the Lady Falcons have officially opened with victories over Roseville, South Tahoe and Golden Sierra.While this weekend's tournament in Oroville will match the Lady Falcons with several teams from the North Section, upcoming tourney events at Del Oro (Dec. 13-15) and at Folsom (Dec. 27-29) will allow Hicks to see if his team is ready for the expected step up in competition."We're looking for overall better scoring balance and team defense," this season, said the Colfax coach. "We have five or six players that are capable of leading us in scoring this year so it's not all going to be put on one player."Hicks returns four starters from last year's squad including a pair of senior forwards in Tyler Divine and Courtney Harrison, both who earned all-PVL honors a year ago.In Monday night's 60-26 rout of Golden Sierra, Divine scored 13 points and Harrison added 10 in just over a half of play.Also returning for the Lady Falcons are junior guard Katie Cassilagio and senior pivot Lauren Maurer. Both will be counted on to add extra punch to the Colfax offense this season.Another returnee for the Lady Falcons is Lauren Baccala, a senior guard who sat out last season after injuring a knee is the preseason. Baccala, who tallied 10 points in last week's win over South Tahoe, is a strong ball handler and also an excellent defender.A pair of sophomores, Ashley Broussard and Jennifer Bozzo, are also expected to get plenty of minutes after having standout seasons on the JV level a year ago as freshmen.Adding more depth to Colfax's attack is junior Kelsey Lamb, a steady player who is a hustler on both ends of the court, and sophomore Cassandra Campbell who adds a nice shooting touch from the outside."It's still early but we're making strides," said Hicks.Hicks also expects a tough field this season in the Div. IV playoff picture as Christian Brothers, Div. IV newcomer Modesto Christian, PVL rival Bear River and Loretto are all expected to be strong.Colfax Girls BasketballLast Year: 19-6 (PVL second place tie)Key returnees: Tyler Divine, Courtney Harrison, Lauren Maurer.Today: Vs. Corning at Oroville Tournament, 5 p.m.