Rogers Basketball Succeeded as a 'Family'

All it takes is a few minutes with some of the members of the girls basketball team to see that it was a sister-like bond that helped the girls complete one of their most successful seasons in years. 

The team played in Division II South and went all the way to the semifinals at Rhode Island College last week. They ended with a regular season record of 12-6 and 3-1 in the postseason. The Vikings to Mount St. Charles.

In just four years the team has climbed from a number 43 ranking at the end of their 2006-2007 season to being the number 23 in Rhode Island this year.

“My teammates had each others' backs all season long. We were a very competitive, happy team and each one felt like family to me,” senior Chanel Neal said.

Neal, who also plays softball and plans to join the U.S. Navy upon graduation, said each girl brought something special and different to the team. “I brought laughter,” she said.

Senior guard Maryellen Settle echoed the family sentiment.

“Through this whole season we were a family. The coaches were great, everyone was very involved and committed. It was a great end to the senior year,” Settle said 

Head Coach Frank Brow is in his fifth year of coaching at Rogers and is an 8^th grade special education teacher at Portsmouth Middle School by day. He also was an assistant coach in Tiverton for eight years.

“What I think I brought to the season was consistency and a good work ethic. But you can have all that but if you don’t have really good kids to put the work in you really don’t have anything,” Brow said. “We were happy with the season. I’m proud of the girls, they didn’t give up. We had some injuries to overcome right from the start.”

Sisters Olivia and Josie Chaves both endured torn ACLs.

“We ended up moving Nifaty Morales from power forward to point guard. She struggled early on, then she became dynamite,” he said.

Dynamite was right. Morales became Newport County Player of the Year by averaging 12 points, six rebounds, six assists, and five steals per game.

Senior center Tia Cromwell credited her leadership and physical attributes to part of the team’s success. 

“What I brought to the team was leadership and a lot of height. I was also able to teach the freshmen so they can take our place,” said Cromwell.  

“We connected on the courts. We connected off the courts. We won as a family and without that family atmosphere we couldn’t have achieved any of it,” she said with a big smile.