JFK Hoops: Girls and Boys Season Preview

The John F. Kennedy girls' basketball team is just two years removed from being 2009 Class 3, District 3 champions. If the Celts are going to return to that level of success, it will need to follow the lead of senior Paige Stewart.

Stewart averaged 15.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.8 steals on her way to being named to last season's all-conference team in the Archdiocesan Athletic Conference.

Head coach Jeff Stevens is especially looking forward to coaching Stewart and fellow senior, six-foot, one-inch center Megan Duisen, who averaged 5.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season.

"They both work really hard in the offseason and during the season, and I definitely hope to see them develop this year," Stevens said. He has coached both girls for the past four years. 

Another major contributor will be senior forward Samantha Holmes, who averaged 6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game last season.

During each of Stevens' first four years, JFK went to the district finals. In eight seasons, Stevens is 100-108 overall, and 13-8 in the postseason. The Celts played a particularly challenging schedule last season and finished 7-19, including 2-10 in the AAA.

Seven of the nine girls on the varsity team are returning players, giving Stevens the luxury of already having leadership and experience.

"I look forward to coaching these girls," Stevens said, "because they work so hard all the time."

The Kennedy boys' basketball team is entering its fifth year under head coach George Calhoun, who already foresees a successful 2010-2011 season.

In 2008, the team made it to the District Championship game, which they lost by one point, and Calhoun's top goal is to get back to the championship game.

Calhoun is hopeful that getting everyone on the same page will help their chances of being successful.

"Our district is pretty competitive," Calhoun said, "and I keep telling the team you've got to think of it as a marathon and not a sprint and just try to take each practice as a chance to get better each day."

"If we can do that," he added, "we can get better as the season progresses and have a chance to compete in districts."

Kennedy is the smallest school in the AAA, which tends to be highly competitive each season. According to Calhoun, having low numbers makes it difficult to develop players. The team lost four seniors last year, and will have just three seniors returning this year. The Celts' top three scorers from last season graduated.

Calhoun is especially excited about returning seniors Trent Husak and Andrew Durington. Husha started last year and averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds. He's the team's leading returning scorer. Durington averaged 2.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and shot 28-for-49 from the field.

Durington was a consistent player off the bench, but will likely start this season.

Calhoun has six players that saw game action last season, but otherwise will have to rely on junior varsity players and freshmen to round out his roster.

For the new Celts, these early practices will be crucial for their development. Calhoun is focused on getting his players accustomed to the "speed and physical nature of the game."

Both the boys' and girls' teams are well-supported by the Kennedy student body, even having the presence of what Stevens referred to as "Bleacher Kreaturez", who have their own bannered bleacher section present at every home game.

The girls' and boys' basketball teams will open the season in a tournament on Nov. 29 and 30 at Kennedy.