Woodbridge Girls Basketball Team Ready to Battle for Red Division Title

When a high school team can combine experience with talent, it usually sets up a dynamic team for a successful run. The Woodbridge Barrons Girls Basketball team boasts this explosive combination this year as it looks to compete for a division title and more.

"We are an experienced team that's looking to make a run in the division and county," said Head Coach John Moyer.

Moyer is entering his tenth season as head coach of the Lady Barons and figures this year's team can make some noise in the highly competitive Red Division.

Woodbridge is coming off a 21-5 season where they finished in second place behind Piscataway. Three of Woodbridge's five loses last year were to Piscataway by a combined 12 points. Returning to the Red Division this year, Woodbridge will find itself battling for first place once again with teams like Piscataway, Edison, Bishop Ahr, and Cardinal McCarrick. Woodbridge opens their regular season Friday, December 17 at Edison.

The Lady Barrons advanced to the quarterfinals in both the GMCT and NJSIAA State Tournament last year, but fell to Spotswood and Piscataway respectively.

This season, the Lady Barrons are fortunate enough to return all their starters from a year ago with the exception of Jewell Palmer. Palmer averaged 10 points per game and eight and a half rebounds before graduating last spring. Her contributions to the team will be missed, but the remaining starters are expected to pick up the work load.

With no newcomers added to this year's team, Woodbridge looks to senior Captain Alex Nardoza to lead the charge. Nardoza, the team's leading scorer, averages 12 points per game, four steals, and four assists per game and is just 38 points away from 1000 career points, a milestone very few high school players reach.

Junior forward Jordyn Stanley is probably the team's best all around player. Stanley has over 500 points on offense and 500 defensive rebounds in her first two years with the Lady Barrons. Stanley's 10 rebounds a game coupled with her 11.4 points of offense give her a presence on the court like no other.

Sophomore shooting guard Taylor Stanley is expected to contribute to the team's offense with her seven points-per-game average from a year ago. Junior forward Carly Matthews and third year starting point guard Shannon Waters will round out this year's starting five.

All five starters will be hard for opposing coaches to contain. The team prides itself on its speed, athleticism and shooting.

"We are a guard oriented team," said Moyer. "We have solid shooters and a bunch of speed. We are small and quick and will look to put a lot of pressure on the ball defensively with traps."

Woodbridge's style of play is simple. They like to work the outer perimeter when on offense and can be seen swinging the ball to the sides. Content with an already successful game plan, the Lady Barrons spent most of the offseason working on physical strength and speed. Coach Moyer doesn't expect many changes to this year's offense.

"We are going to keep it simple. We will add a few new wrinkles," said Moyer.

Woodbridge boasts a strong starting five this season but does lack depth and height. They enter the season a bit undersized, but the team's quickness and experience should more than make up for it as long as they can stay healthy.

"Stay healthy. The one thing we lack is depth on the bench," said Moyer.

From Dec. 26 to 31, Woodbridge will travel to Orlando Florida to compete in the KSA Holiday Tournament in Disney World. This tournament hosts elite teams from around the country and games are played at top-notch facilities equipped with the finest amenities around.