Tim Daugharty, who coached most of the girls through their middle school years, takes the reins again after a 16-year coaching absence at the high school level.
Daugharty coached the 1988-89 boys to the 3A State Championship.
Practice began for the girls on Monday and their first game is scheduled for next Friday against Eagle River.
In 2003, Daugharty coached the middle school girls team to a borough title. Many of the girls on that team now play for the Mariners.
“It’s been kind of a big picture goal of mine to coach the girls for a long time,” Daugharty said. “They know me and I know them, which is a plus.”
The team returns many of its impact players from a year ago, including a tall front lineup and several strong defenders.
But there are still a couple holes to fill, Daugharty said.
Last season’s point guard and All 4A State Tournament selection, Bailey Lowney, graduated last year.
And senior defensive star, Kailee Pollack, blew out her knee during a pickup game this fall and likely will miss the season.
Even with those absences, however, the team has plenty of strong senior leadership, Daugharty said,
“We have three things going for us, speed, size and smarts,” Daugharty said. “We should be in most games.”
Daugharty said he is fortunate to have Deb Lowney and Clayton Smith back as assistant coaches this season.
The three of them will work on the mental aspects of the game and fundamentals as the girls prepare for the season.
The number one priority will be defense this year, followed by rebounding and passing, Daugharty said.
Good defense will lead to a lot of transition baskets and an up tempo style the girls have played for years, Daugharty said.
“It should be fun to watch,” he said.
Competition in the region should be as tough as ever, Daugharty said, with Wasilla picked to be one of the top three girls teams in the state.
Palmer, Colony and Soldotna should all be strong, he said, although most of the teams in the region, including Homer, are packed with younger players.
And while there is a certain amount of positive buzz about this year’s team, Daugharty said he is looking at the bigger picture.
“We’re working on creating an atmosphere of intense basketball and quality academics,” he said. “This is a group of good people.”
Ben Stuart can be reached at ben.stuart@homer news.com.
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