RHAM girls' basketball off to a strong start

RHAM players (from left) Maddie Haas, Rachel Surdel and Taylor Garger reach for a ball controlled by Fermi's Jill Lapponese. Looking on is Fermi's Justyce Jenkins. Photos by Melanie Savage.

Coming off of a 15-5 regular season for 2011-12, the RHAM Sachems girls’ basketball team had racked up two wins already this year after a 78-24 victory against Fermi on Dec. 7. The Sachems made it look easy against Fermi. “They weren’t very good,” said head coach Tim Guernsey.

Farmington, which was RHAM’s first official game for 2012-13, had presented more of a challenge. The Sachems won the game by one point, with a final score of 46-45. “The pace was a little bit faster against Farmington,” said Guernsey, “and we were out of gas by the end.” Guernsey said that he’d be working on building up his players’ stamina going forward.

Overall, “It’s a very unselfish group,” said Guernsey. “I like the potential of this group. We show some promise. It’s just a matter of playing to our ability.”

Seniors on this year’s team include Cameron Rishell, a guard who last year was named, along with junior Sarah Veilleux, as a CCC All-Conference player for 2012. Rishell, a four-year member of the team, scored 11 of RHAM’s 78 points against Fermi. Rishell will likely be a big scorer for the Sachems this year. Veilleux, a 6-foot guard, scored 34 points against Fermi and will likely continue to be a top scorer for the team as well.

Senior Marissa Larned, a small, fast guard, had seven steals against Fermi. Guernsey describes Larned as “more of a defensive specialist.” RHAM’s third senior, Caitlyn Ayotte, Guernsey describes as “an extremely unselfish player.”

Sisters Mallory and Sierra Stone, daughters of Gilead Hill School first-grade teacher Kelly Stone, reiterated the theme of the unselfishness of their team. “We’re like one big family,” said Sierra. “There are really no weak players. Everyone’s a good attribute to the team.”

Sierra, one of several freshmen who make up this year’s team, said that having a sister play helped a lot in terms of making the varsity team as a young player. With both parents playing the sport in the past, the sisters spend a lot of time practicing together. Regarding playing together, “I like it,” said Mallory, a junior guard. “There’s always someone there for you.”