Adirondack division champs await challenges

Lake George and Argyle came up with the two big Adirondack League girls’ basketball prizes last winter.

West Division champ Lake George was the overall league winner at 13-1. East Division champ Argyle (13-2) went deeper into the postseason, keeping the Class D banner in a league gym for the ninth straight year.

Both will be fighting off challengers this season.

“Corinth has a lot of good athletes, and Luzerne has [league MVP Jesse] Sussman back,” said Lake George coach Rob Tefft, sizing up his team’s West challengers.

It’s going to be tough to knock the Warriors from their perch, as Lake George returns three starters — Megan Stover, Katie Flatley and Brittany Jones — from last year’s team that went 16-7 overall.

Add another vet with plenty of playing time in Sara Anderson, and a solid transfer in former Warrensburg player Brittany Baker, and it’s easy to see why the Warriors will be a power again.

“Having three starters back is obviously a big plus,” said Tefft. “But we’ve also got six sophomores on the team, It will be interesting to see how they mix.”

Stover (12.2 ppg) was the Warriors’ second-leading scorer last winter, and was a first-team league all-star. The 5-foot-11 senior will be one of the keys to Lake George’s up-tempo game.

“We’ve got a lot of size, so we should be able to run,” said Tefft.

Corinth could be in the divisional title picture, if its lack of depth isn’t a problem.

“We’ve got good players, but we only have 10 on the team,” said Tomahawks coach Ron White. “But we’ve got five back who started at some point last year, and they played a lot in the offseason, so it’s like they’ve had another season together.”

Jenna Allen, Jessica Clothier, Jordan Madison, Megan Shippee and Ariell Triano bring experience to the court.

“I think we’ll be competitive,” said White. “I’d like to think it’s Lake George and us in our div­ision.”

Hadley-Luzerne has a chance to win any game, though, as long as 1,000-point career scorer Sussman is playing.

“As good a scorer as she is, Jesse is a better point guard,” said Eagles coach Tom Boucher. “She sees the floor so well, and can break down a defense.”

Sophomore Courtney Backus, 11th-grader Leah Laurent and

senior Holly Miron are also varsity veterans.

“As far as athletic ability, this is the best group I’ve had in my four years,” said Boucher.

In addition to losing Baker to transer, Warrensburg is without graduated Rachelle Black, one of the league’s top scorers a year ago.

Seniors Carol White and Jen Durkin step into the leadership role for the Burgers, who are coming off a 16-5 season.

“They’re going to have to be our leaders, on and off the court,” said coach Scott Smith. “We’re very small. Our tallest player is 5-8.”

The East Division is home to one of the other top individual players in the league, Whitehall junior Brittany St. Clair.

“She’s our only returning player,” said co-head coach John St. Clair. “We started with a couple of

seniors on the injured list.”

St. Clair would have drawn the bulk of the Railroaders’ opponents’ attention, even with a healthy group of teammates.

Junior Maria McKee will help, and St. Clair is hoping a handful of players up from a good JV squad will make a quick transition to the varsity level.

Fort Edward is looking to improve after a 3-12 league season in 2007-08.

“Of the 11 on the team, eight of the girls are returning players,” said coach Dan Dineen. “We don’t have a lot of height, but we’ve got speed and we’ve got good shooters.”

ARGYLE

Coach: Terry Chamberlain.

Last year’s record: 13-1, 16-7.

Top returning players: Lexi McWhorter, Lezzette Hughes. Brittany King.

FORT ANN

Coach: Gary Tyler.

Last year’s record: 1-14, 2-16.

Top returning players: Breana Moore, Sarah Bell, Kelsey Finley.

FORT EDWARD

Coach: Dan Dineen

Last year’s record: 3-12, 4-17.

Top returning players: Megan Godfrey, Tierra Austin, Morgan Heym.

HARTFORD

Coach: Jason Harrington.

Last year’s record: 9-6, 14-8.

Top returning players: Miriam Nestle, Lydia Jones, Olivia Parrott.

SALEM

Coach: Matt Parker.

Last year’s record: 5-10, 7-13.

Top returning players: Heidi Connors, Shirley Waite.

WHITEHALL

Co-coaches: John St. Clair, Clint Currier.

Last year’s record: 10-5, 13-9.

Top returning players: Brittany St. Clair, Maria McKee.

CORINTH

Coach: Ron White.

Last year’s record: 8-6, 12-9.

Top returning players: Jessica Clothier, Jordan Madison, Ariell Triano.

HADLEY-LUZERNE

Coach: Tom Boucher.

Last year’s record: 6-8, 10-11.

Top returning players: Jesse Sussman, Courtney Backus, Heather Miron.

LAKE GEORGE

Coach: Rob Tefft.

Last year’s record: 13-1, 16-7.

Top returning players: Meg Stover, Katie Flatley, Sara Anderson.

NORTH WARREN

Coach: P.J. Hogan.

Last year’s record: 0-14, 1-19.

Top returning players: Ashley Schloss, Katherine Andonucci.

WARRENSBURG

Coach: Scott Smith.

Last year’s record: 12-2, 16-5.

Top returning players: Jen Durkin, Carol White, Mercedes Maltbie.

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