An optimistic Chabot women's basketball coach Mark Anger says "anything is possible" this season for his deep and talented team.
Consider that the Gladiators, ranked No. 5 in the NorCal preseason poll, return all but one player from a 23-win team. Even though the one to move on was dynamic team MVP and top scorer Olivia Vezaldenos, now with Division II Concordia (Ore.), the Gladiators figure to be tough to beat.
Three freshmen newcomers bolster the squad: forwards Zakiya Mahoney (Bishop O'Dowd) and Indya Williams (James Logan) and point guard Angelina DeFranco (Hayward).
Sophomore forward Mia Finnie (Berkeley) was the team's second-leading scorer last season at 13.3 ppg, and sophomore guard Kim Masulit (James Logan) drained 70 threes last season and averaged 12.7 ppg.
Returning center Ferryn Steen (Mt. Eden), a dominating inside presence, averaged nine points and eight rebounds per game.
"Obviously the league is the first goal," Anger says of the Coast-North. "I think we're capable of making the (State) Final Four, but we've got a lot of work to do with meshing new players and old players. It takes time, but it's a really good group and we're really excited about it."
Chabot opens at home against Foothill at 6 p.m. on Nov. 1.