Lady Vikes get a jump on basketball season

WILLIAMS, Ariz. - Lady Vikes basketball season is underway with the first practice Nov. 2.

Coach Jet Feliciano is beginning his fourth year at the helm for the girls.

Feliciano has taken the Lady Vikes to the state playoffs over the past three years.

"We're pretty young this year, I'm trying to build a program," Feliciano said. "We only have three seniors, no juniors and the rest are freshmen and sophomores."

Feliciano said this year's team does not have a lot of players and many of the girls will be playing both junior varsity and varsity games.

Dara Bowdon, Caitlyn Fritsinger and a new transfer student from Fredonia will make up the senior roster.

"We lost Gaby Guinta when her mom transferred out of here," Feliciano said. "She was a big contributor last year. She fired off a lot of the three-point shots last year. I don't know where we're going to get the points this year yet."

Feliciano is encouraged with the new freshman class. He has four girls who played middle school basketball and come to the team with some developed skills.

"We're very young, super young," Feliciano said. "But hopefully when the freshmen are seniors they will know the system and it will be good."

Feliciano is working on basic drills the first week of practice. The girls are doing a lot of dribbling and passing work.

"I'm working on getting them in shape and basic fundamentals so I don't get gray hairs," Feliciano said. "You can't shoot if you don't have the ball. [Fewer] turnovers means we have the ball most of the time and have more chances to shoot.

"They've got to be familiar with the ball," he said. "When we turn the ball over we lose our chance to score. Every game I count turnovers. We set an objective, only 20 in a game. That should be it. There was one time I had 40 plus. That's 40 chances to miss, that's 80 points right there if you make every chance. I do the math, being a math teacher."

Prior to coaching in Williams, Feliciano coached at Window Rock for 10 years.

"They breathe basketball there," Feliciano joked. "They build arenas and get wild, they pack that place."

Feliciano is encouraging fans to come out and support the Lady Vikes. The girls have their first game Nov. 20 against Joseph City. It will be a scrimmage on the road. Their first home game is Nov. 24 also with Joseph City.