Titans undergoing a rebuild

Kevin Pomeroy
Posted 12/11/14

This winter is the very definition of a transition year for the Toll Gate girls’ basketball program.

The Titans are switching divisions, attempting to overcome heavy losses from a year ago and …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Titans undergoing a rebuild

Posted

This winter is the very definition of a transition year for the Toll Gate girls’ basketball program.

The Titans are switching divisions, attempting to overcome heavy losses from a year ago and trying to break in a combination of inexperienced varsity players and first-year players.

There are a few players back in the fold to help even things out, but for the most part, it’s an entirely new look for Toll Gate as it looks to build a competitive squad.

“We’ll have our work cut out for us, but I’m cautiously optimistic,” said head coach John Paolino.

Toll Gate hasn’t won more than three games since 2005-06, and that year it won only four games. It hasn’t finished above .500 since 2000-01. Because of the program’s recent struggles, its dropped down to Division III from D-II, joining a revamped division that expanded from 10 teams to 20 teams this season.

Rivals Warwick Vets and Pilgrim moved down as well, and all three Warwick schools are in the D-III-South subdivision, the first time they’re in the same subdivision this century.

Also playing D-III-South are Block Island, Central, Hope, Middletown, Narragansett, Mt. Pleasant and Rocky Hill.

“This is a transition year for us,” Paolino said. “Some of the years I’m familiar with in Division III, the others I’m not very familiar with it. This will be a very competitive D-III, and we’ve got all the Warwick schools in the same sub-division. Finally, after however many years, we’re going to have those games that mean something.”

The Titans graduated four players from last year’s 3-13 team – Kathleen Morlock, Sarah Sagnella, Laura McGuire and Jackie Falso. On top of that, a handful of other players in the program didn’t come out for the team this year, leaving Toll Gate shorthanded initially.

In the end, though, 19 girls are in the program, as the Titans have a full varsity and JV team.

There are only three seniors in the program, and only one with any high school basketball experience. Holly Gerber-George is the returner, but she only saw limited varsity action a year ago.

She’ll step into a much bigger role this season, as she’s expected to start.

“She had a very good summer league,” Paolino said. “She works extremely hard.”

The other two seniors are key soccer players at Toll Gate who decided to come out for basketball, Amber Francois and Kyleigh Malatesta.

Malatesta will likely be the starting point guard, and Paolino noted her defense as a strength.

“I’m very impressed with her,” Paolino said. “She’s going to allow us to apply the defensive pressure that I’ve wanted to do over the years.”

Francois will probably come off the bench and is expected to play down low.

Toll Gate’s top returning player is sophomore Hannah McNulty. One of the best soccer players in the state, McNulty broke onto the basketball scene last year as a big-time contributor in the post. She’ll move to the perimeter this year in an effort to utilize her shooting ability and athleticism.

“She’s probably our best shooter and she’ll be nice and athletic on the perimeter,” Paolino said.

Sophomore Taylor Jackson saw a lot of playing time last season and she’s penciled in as a starter as well. The fifth starter is still up in the air, but one candidate is freshman Christina Barry.

Barry has AAU experience and will be valuable as a ball handler.

The hope is that those five can give the Titans above-average defensive work while everyone finds their footing offensively.

“That’s going to be a big struggle for us this year – putting the ball in the hoop,” Paolino said. “We’re not a great shooting team.”

Sophomore Marisa Giard is another player who should contribute heavily after moving up to the varsity team from JV this year.

Juniors Libby Costello and Cassondra Messier will swing, as will freshman Quinn Freeman, who is the younger sister of former Toll Gate standout Ingrid Freeman.

Other members of the team are freshmen Kani Becton, Elizabeth Brousseau, Celia Florio, Ashleigh Smith, Ashley Stone, Aleandra Werner, Kalen Whitney and junior Zulmari Delgardo.

There’s a lot of new faces in that group. As much as that signals a team in transition, it’s also reason for optimism, both now and in the future.

Plus, with the move down to D-III, the new-look Titans won’t be completely thrown into the fire.

There’s potential for success.

“This is going to be a much better fit,” Paolino said. “I think we’ll be much more competitive. We’ve got a little bit more athleticism than we’ve had in the past.”

The Titans will play West Warwick today on the road at 7 p.m. in an Injury Fund game before getting the regular season started on Saturday at Block Island at 12:30 p.m.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here