Forest Park looks to keep going

By Dave Fawcett

Published: March 10, 2008

It was the first time they would see Princess Anne in person this season, but it came at a perfect time.

Thanks to a break in the schedule and a short drive up the road, Rebecca Tillett and her Forest Park girls basketball coaching staff were able to catch the Cavaliers' state quarterfinal at Robinson High School in Fairfax before taking the court for their own state quarterfinal later that night.

And what they saw was a team similar in some respects to teams they've already faced this season. That was the good news.

Upfront, the Cavaliers feature two post players in 6-foot senior forward Kay Vick and 6-3 freshman center Elizabeth Williams.

The Bruins beat an Arundel team in a Christmas Tournament that had two 6-  foot players. And they swept a Potomac team with its 6-3 all-American center Lynetta Kizer

But the Cavaliers (29-1) also feature perhaps the best transition game Forest Park (24-4) could face this season when the two square off tonight at 6 in the Group AAA state semifinals at the Siegel Center in Richmond.

Led by American signee Raven Harris, Princess Anne likes to push the ball up the court whenever it can. Harris, a 5-7 senior guard, directs the attack, while also averaging a team-high 18.6 points per game.

"That's their first option and they go every chance they get," Forest Park coach Rebecca Tillett said.

Shutting down the Cavaliers' transition game and keeping their post players in check will be two of the Bruins' biggest defensive challenges.

But the Bruins are up to the task.

In the postseason, Forest Park has only allowed 35.3 points per game

Both teams are not short of state tournament experience.

Senior Amber Epps, junior Shayla Drakeford, junior Danni Jackson and junior Gerda Gatling are among the current team members who were on the 2006 state championship team. As a fresh-man, Epps was also a member of the 2005 team that lost to Princess Anne 59-52 in the state final.

"These girls know how it is in the postseason," Tillett said. "They have experi-ence and have been in situations like this before. We will definitely rely on that leader-ship."

Epps, for one, has felt the need to step it up more.

She remembers how valuable the senior leadership of Monica Wright (Virginia) and Ashleigh Braxton (Pittsburgh) were when the Bruins won the state title in 2006.

Now it is her turn. She had hoped to share that with fellow senior Deidre Richardson, but Richard-son is out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery last week.

So, Epps, like her teammates, are relying on Richardson in another way.

"We're using it as an inspiration," Epps said. "I've played with her since we were freshmen and she was always a good example as a leader ... We're playing for her."

Princess Anne is no stranger to the state tournament either.

Under 13th-year coach Darnell Dozier, the Cavaliers have won state titles in 2002 and 2005. Three seniors (Harris, Vick and Tonya Clark) on this team were on the 2005 team.

Although Princess Anne graduated two starters from last year's team that lost in the re-gional semifinals after standout Kim Rodgers (Maryland) was injured in the district tournament, the team was expected to be a force this season.

They have three Division I signees in Harris, Vick (Radford) and Clark (Delaware State).

The Cavaliers only loss this season was to Heritage in the regional final, 52-35.