The Tonasket High School 2009-2010 girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams. In the front row from left to right are: Michelle Carlson, Taylor Ayers, Karen Keeton, Ameerah Cholmondeley, Lidia Yaussy Albright, Karlie Henneman and Raven Goudeau.

TONASKET – The Tonasket girls’ basketball team is starting fresh this year with a new coach.

In her first year as head coach, Stephanie Schertenleib said she has an intense coaching style. Assisted by her sister, Jessica Clarkson, Schertenleib is overseeing 24 girls this season, which says she would consider better than average.

“This team is inexperienced at the varsity level,” Schertenleib said. “We have only a few girls that received any varsity minutes and only one senior.”

That senior is April Webber, who was on the team last year under head coach Greg Moser. As the only senior on the team, Webber is a leader for the team.

“I think it will be a learning year,” she said. “I think it’ll be a fun experience and a good year with a new coach.”

Last year’s team made it to the regional playoffs, but lost in the first round. Schertenleib said this year’s team has the potential to do well also.

“All my varsity girls have potential, it’s just a matter of how hard they are willing to work,” she said.

Though the team is inexperienced at the varsity level, Schertenleib said she thinks the team will progress throughout the season.

“I believe you will see a large amount of growth from the beginning of the season to the end,” she said. “Having not coach this team before, I’m anxious to find out what the team’s strong points are.”