Shooting for playoffs

This could be the Crusaders' year to vie for the 3A crown

With a year of 3A play under its belt, its entire starting lineup back and the two-time defending state champions Pahrump Valley High School having graduated its entire starting lineup, there has never been as much enthusiasm for the Faith Lutheran girls basketball team as there is this season.

In their first season playing in Class 3A after moving up from 2A last year, the Crusaders posted a respectable 21-8 record, but failed to make the playoffs as Southern League favorites Pahrump Valley and Boulder City snagged the two state postseason berths. Those two teams kept Faith Lutheran from advancing to state as the Crusaders went a combined 0-5 against them in 2005.

But this year things are looking up for the private Summerlin school as coach Jason Boyd returns his entire starting lineup as well as a majority of his bench from last year's squad.

Leading the way for Faith Lutheran, which started this season off with a 15-3 record, is 6-foot senior Genesis Lightbourne, one of the most talented players in the Silver State. Lightbourne, who received a full-ride scholarship to attend Iowa State University next fall, averaged 16.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last year and was extremely confident about her Crusaders' chances heading into this campaign.

"I think we're going to do really well," Lightbourne said in an interview this fall. "In fact, I know that we're going to do really well. I can't say that we're going to win every single game, but I know everybody's on the same page and everybody's willing to work hard. And one of our starters (Daniella Morton) just came back after tearing her ACL, so she's been busy recuperating."

With the athletic Lightbourne -- who is both the defending state triple jump and high jump champion -- providing size, sophomore Jill Gentile, who averaged over 11 points per game last season; senior Jenna Benko, running the point; and juniors Daniella Morton, Meghann Smith and Emily Koch all back, Boyd has enough talent to play with any high school in the city.

Boyd talked about his two leading scorers.

"Genesis played club ball a lot this summer so I think the competition she played made her a lot better," he said of his star who was averaging 22 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this season. "Her confidence level has really improved. And Jill's averaging 9 a game for us so far this year and she's a big scorer for us."

Proving the Crusaders can match up with just about anybody in Sin City was a perfect 11-0 record (at press time) against 4A opponents including wins against Desert Pines (ranked No. 4 by the Las Vegas Review-Journal in its Jan. 5 prep poll), Mojave (No. 7), Palo Verde, Eldorado and Las Vegas.

Helping Boyd's starting rotation out is a talented and pretty deep bench that includes freshman Seanie Petersen, who has seen some time as a starter; Katie Anderson; Jessica Montoro; Ashley Petersen; Veronica Ross and Courtney Davies.

The coach was pleasantly surprised by Petersen's play so far.

"We didn't know what to expect from her as a freshman," Boyd commented. "She's started some games and is just a great defensive player."

One barometer that shows Faith Lutheran has improved this season is the reality that it had already beaten two-time defending 3A champions Pahrump Valley -- its first win ever against the school -- and Boulder City, the two teams that stopped the Crusaders from advancing to state last season and the two teams with the strongest reputations in the Southern League.

With league play now under way, Faith Lutheran can focus on trying to win the Southern 3A, which, besides Pahrump Valley (11-7 overall) and Boulder City (6-8), includes Virgin Valley (8-2) and Moapa Valley (0-6).

Boyd indicated what the first piece of business is for his team.

"Our goal is to win the regular season league title," he said.

Winning the league may be seem to be a bit easier this year with Pahrump Valley having graduated four-year starters Veronica Villa, Darla Hopkins and Sara Coleman, but longtime Trojans coach Bob Hopkins always has a strong squad and with 10 players back off last year's roster, including five from Pahrump's junior varsity team which went 17-4, the Crusaders will still have their work cut out for them in the league.

One tough aspect for Faith Lutheran, which won the Pahrump Valley Times Cage Classic in early December, is that only one team -- the Southern League tournament winner -- will qualify for state this year as three teams from the Northern League will qualify for the state tournament to be played in Reno this winter.

One positive aspect about the state tournament for that representative from the South is the fact it will face the No. 3 seed from the North in the one semifinal, while the top two Northern seeds will meet in the other semifinal.

But besides having to worry about perennial powerhouse Pahrump Valley, Boyd and his Crusaders also have to think about Boulder City, who was without the services of star Katie Palmer in its 52-50 loss to Faith Lutheran on Dec. 8 in the Pahrump Valley Times Cage Classic. Boyd knows the Eagles, who lost to Pahrump Valley on a last-second shot by Melanie Maeder in last year's thrilling 3A finals at The Orleans Arena, will be very motivated this campaign.

"Boulder City has about everybody back this year," Boyd said. "They lost just one starter and they have the memory of that last game still in their minds."

One team the Southern League tournament winner may have to deal with in the state tournament is Spring Creek (15-2), a member of the Northern League who handed Faith Lutheran its first loss of the year (47-43) on Dec. 1 as junior Johnna Ward, one of the top players in the state in 3A, scored 19 points for the Spartans in the victory.

Spring Creek, located 13 miles southeast of Elko in northeastern Nevada, graduated just two players off last year's roster and will be intent on getting to the final four in Reno this February.

The Spartans, who lost to Boulder City in last year's semifinals as the top seed from the North after losing to Pahrump Valley in overtime a year earlier in the semifinals, proved what they're about this year at the Lady Bulldog Classic at Centennial High School in late December where they lost to eventual tourney winner Durango (17-1) in the semifinals, 58-48.

The Southern League tournament will be played on Feb. 16 and 18 at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas with the state tournament being played Feb. 23-25 at various venues around Reno. The 3A girls state championship game will be held Feb. 25 at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno.

Faith Lutheran travels to Virgin Valley on Friday to face the Vikings in Southern League play then it plays host to Boulder City at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the first of two meetings with their conference rival.