Youth No Obstacle to John Jay Girls Hoops

The John Jay girls basketball team may be the youngest in the area. After injuries to some veteran players, eight of the nine girls in the rotation are freshmen and sophomores.

"If it's not the youngest team I've had, this is pretty close to it," said coach Chuck Scozzafava, now in his 15th year. "It's just one of those things."

Still, the Indians (7-8) have battled in every game, even against quality opponents like Byram Hills and Rye, and they are coming off a 55-47 win over Harrison.

The Huskies jumped on John Jay early, but the Indians took the lead midway through the first quarter and never looked back.

"The girls showed a lot of composure," Scozzafava said. "They did a good job of staving off Harrison. Once we took the lead we never gave it back."

The youth movement is led by Reagan Knox, the first sophomore to be named captain under Scozzafava's watch. While she isn't a vocal leader, she finds other ways to lead.

"You see her diving on the floor and playing hard, it's pretty inspiring to everyone else," Scozzafava said.

Knox, who actually started the season as the sixth man before moving into the starting lineup, leads the team with 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.7 steals a game. The sixth-man role now falls to fellow sophomore Mary Sarlitto, an athletic guard with a good nose for the ball who isn't afraid to work inside.

Another standout sophomore is Lauren Murray. As a freshman she played every position except point guard, but when Knox was sick against Brewster this season, Murray moved over to the point. She is now the team leader in assists and gives the team two players who can handle the ball well. She is backed up by accurate shooter Sara Masterson.

There is also a freshman in the starting lineup. Sydney Glynn is coming off her three highest scoring games of the season, including 11 against Mahopac on Saturday.

There is some experience. Center Lauren Hafkemeyer is a three-year varsity player who got better every year and now averages 8.3 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. Though she primarily works inside, she also a good outside shot.

The other senior is power forward Kate Hogan, who is hobbled by a sore ankle but is working her way back. She sets good screens, plays good defense and boxes out extremely well, as evidenced by her 5.8 rebounds a game, second-most on the team.

Junior Kirsten Meehan, a shooting guard who is returning from an elbow injury, is also a great defender and adds a nice shot.

The versatile bench includes sophomore Paige Treyz, who can play anywhere on the inside, and sophomore Jen Oddo, who plays both guard and forward and is extremely coachable.

"You give her suggestions to improve her game and the next thing you know she's trying it out in scrimmages," Scozzafava said.

Freshman Sarah Longe, the leading scorer on the varsity field hockey team, is 5-foot-10 and brings depth to the frontcourt.

Though the team is prone to rookie mistakes now, the coach knows it will pay off in the next few years.

"We're a young team and you can tell sometimes we are a young team," Scozzafava said. "I just try to tell them remember all the good stuff and learn from the bad stuff, but you have to move on or it'll make you crazy."