St. Mike’s coach Apache Paschall guided the Eagles to their first New York State Federation Class AA title last season. Could more be on the horizon? (Damion Reid)
The St. Michael Academy girls basketball team did something many said it couldn’t last year. The Eagles won the CHSAA Class AA title, advancing to the New York State Federation Class AA tournament in Glens Falls, which they also won, beating longtime powerhouse Murry Bergtraum in a classic championship game.
By all accounts, the monkey is off St. Mike’s back. Just don’t tell that to coach Apache Paschall.
“One time might have been a fluke,” Paschall said. “We might have gotten lucky. This year we gotta prove ourselves all over again. … And we might get lucky again.”
Paschall, of course, is just being coy.
St. Mike’s, ranked as high as No. 2 in the country by scouting services, has the finest collection of basketball talent in New York City this side of the Knicks – ironic considering the tiny all-girls school is just blocks from Madison Square Garden.
The Eagles graduated point guard Janine Davis, now at George Washington. Power forward Jelleah Sidney, headed to Syracuse, is prepping at IMG Academies (Fla.). But SMA returns a loaded roster burgeoning with Division I talent, including one notable newcomer: Paterson Catholic (N.J.) transfer Starr Breedlove.
There’s so much skill at St. Mike’s that Paschall still doesn’t have a set starting lineup. Aside from Kentucky-bound guard Jennifer O’Neill, a potential McDonald’s All American, South Carolina-bound Brittany Webb and sharpshooting junior Allysia Rohlehr – all starters in 2008-09 – no one’s spot is a certainty.
“I still gotta figure it all out,” Paschall said. “They gotta battle it out.”
Junior forwards Tiffany Jones and Taylor Ford, both 6 footers getting high Division I interest, should see significant minutes. So should sophomore guard Darius Faulk, who Paschall calls “older and wiser.” Then there’s the conundrum of what to do with juniors Brianna Sidney and Bra-Shey Ali, who are both coming off knee surgery and were slated as starters last year before they were injured.
The 5-foot-9 Sidney is an excellent shooter. She could combine with Rohlehr to make the St. Mike’s lineup impossible to zone. Ali, a 6 footer, is more of a slasher and phenomenal athlete – who just happens to have offers from Rutgers, Kentucky, Syracuse and West Virginia.
“I think they’re gonna have a great impact this year,” O’Neill said. “People haven’t really seen them play.”
Then there’s Breedlove, who is ranked among the top junior guards in the country. Her father, Mousey Carela, is a streetball coaching legend, and Breedlove grew up at Rucker Park watching all the greats, picking up bits and pieces. How does she fit in? O’Neill isn’t worried.
“It’s more competition,” O’Neill said. “It’s good though.”
With all the high-end talent, how will Paschall and assistants Lauren Best and Ron Kelley keep everyone happy? That was the question last year, too. And we all know how that turned out. They preached all season that the Eagles needed to have a team mentality of unity.
“That’s what it takes to be a part of this program,” Paschall said.
If everyone buys in, St. Mike’s could have a dynasty on its hands. Paschall heard rumblings this week that coaches around the city have called the Eagles the hunted and everyone else are the hunters. He doesn’t see it.
“How do you hunt a wolf?” he said with a grin. “That’s gonna be our mentality.”