Welcome to TBO.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Hernando Today > News

Season Underway Today

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Challenger K-8 Head Coach Roe Foley hopes her varsity girls’ basketball team again contends for the county championship. Last winter, Challenger finished runner-up to Powell Middle School.

By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: October 23, 2008

The girls' hoops season opens today for the seven middle school programs, now including first-year Explorer K-8.
Last season Powell nearly ran the table, going 11-1 to claim the county championship. Challenger finished second in the county tournament after handing the Lady Panthers their only loss in the regular season.
However both teams have seen several of their top players move on to high school, making this year's season outlook less certain.
Powell no longer has the services of Mariah Byrd or twin sisters Ja'Nay and Je'Nel Yore. Still, last year's junior varsity squad went 7-3, providing hope for continued success.
The Lady Navigators must replace Tori Hattaway and Carey Bossey, looking to players such as 2007 JV standouts Syclair Jones and Natalia Carabello, as well as out-of-state transfer Erin Moynihan.
"It's always nice to win a county championship, especially when you were runners-up last year," Challenger Head Coach Roe Foley said. "We're hoping to win games, improve during the season and not just become better basketball players but better athletes.
"…I think most of them (the county's teams) graduated their solid players. So it may be an even slate."
Like Powell, the Challenger JV went 7-3 last year. Parrott's JV went 9-1 in 2007, the lone loss coming in the final game versus Challenger, 16-12.