New coach, new team; TC Basketball ready for new season
2023-24 TC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: SCHEDULE | ROSTER
TAFT, CA – Official college basketball season is upon us. At Taft College, the women's basketball program will begin their season with a home opener on Saturday, November 4 against West Los Angeles College.
A new era will begin this season with the hiring of new Women's Head Basketball Coach Romeo Lagmay, Jr. at the helm. A college veteran coach of 23 years, Coach Lagmay brings with him experience as a head coach at the NCAA Division II, NAIA, USCAA and NJCAA Division I level, along with a 4-year short stint with the NBA Summer Professional League.
Coach Lagmay will inherit two returning sophomores in Yareli Gomez (CA) and Brandy Edwards (AZ). "Yareli is a work horse! She is an undersized post player that plays well above her height. Brandy is a 3-level scorer. We will depend on her to put points on the board," Coach Lagmay said. Towards the end of the summer recruiting period, Coach Lagmay was able to recruit 12 new prospects to Taft's campus. There will be 14 players total that will represent 10 states. Eight of those 10 will consist of the new 12 Lady Cougars eligible to play this 2023-2024 season. The recruiting class is positioned with a heavy load of guards, along with a few forwards. There will be no major height in the post position, but Coach Lagmay sees that as a benefit by saying, "I am a point guard coach. I was a former college player with a high IQ of the game, and I have always presented a very cerebral approach to the game strategically and methodically. So the more the guards, the more brainpower."
The program will rely on the guards led by former 1A Western State Nevada MVP Alizah Lara of powerhouse Pyramid Lake High School and the craftiness and athleticism of Azareeyah "Tiny" Heaven of Palmetto, Florida. "Those two together on the floor is a dangerous mix. One will complement the other in rotation at the point spot," said Coach Lagmay. However, it doesn't stop there with the addition of New Mexico College transfer Siera Bradford also able to make contributions at the point, along with Edwards. One of Utah's state MVP's is incoming freshman Alyah Blackwater, who can score and run the point as well. Then, you have Kahree Horton of Idaho and Mary Pahukoa of Hawaii. Coach Lagmay commented, "Siera, Alyah, Kahree, and Mary possess so many assets to the game able to play effectively on both ends of the court. Siera has IQ, Alyah is polished, Kahree and Mary can score in many ways, with all of them having very good court awareness."
The wing players will comprise of Jasmeen Lemons of Texas, Celicia Enos of Hawaii, and Amaya Payne of Nevada. Coach Lagmay smiles at this trio as he says, "The length and athleticism of Jas, Ceci and Maya will work great in our fast break system. They're long, initiating, and mobile. They will contribute and benefit on offense and defense." Freshmen post players Aaliyah Tidwell of Illinois and former Independence High School (Bakersfield) alum Meya Gorlero of California will look to contribute in other impact ways. "What I like about 'Chicago' (Tidwell) and Meya is that they have been developing into some solid puzzle pieces that the stat sheet doesn't show. As they start to improve on those intangibles in the paint, our mission just grows immensely," commented Coach Lagmay. Lagmay continued, "We are hopeful that Azareeyah's sister Zamarehia will be eligible in the spring, and if she is, that will change the landscape for the good during conference play."
A humble, yet confident approach, Lagmay stated, "It's 40 minutes of non-stop action with highly aggressive defense that is relentless and havoc-causing. Our offense is prepared to counter any half or full court defensive threats. Our team is mentally and physically prepared to play in regulation and overtime. The expectations and standards have been set high, and since Day 1 the mindset has been developing into becoming one of the top contenders throughout the season. I am very thankful and appreciative of all 14 players embracing the challenge to lead the Black and Gold attack."
Cougars Basketball is set to play at 5:00 pm this Saturday at the Al Baldock Cougar Sports Center in Taft.