By Richard Carrier
Contributing Writer

This year’s version of Powhatan High School’s varsity girls basketball team features a commodity Head Coach Paulette Bowman has not seen in her 20 plus years of mentoring the Lady Indians: height, and lots of it.

Junior six footer Hana Akersveen-Davis brings a solid year of varsity experience and smooth moves in the paint.

She is joined by junior Maitlin Ware who missed last season and both will be backed up by junior Megan Prillaman well seasoned with the junior varsity last year.
The biggest obstacles the Lady Indians will have to overcome is youth and lack of experienced varsity back-ups.

The PHS girls can put only two seniors on the floor, Co-Captain Danielle Hawkins, who missed half of last season with an ACL tear, and guard Mildred Washington. Hawkins has been around the program long enough to understand Coach Bowman’s system and to develop leadership skills while Washington brings top team speed with the potential to become one of the squad’s better defenders and is an integral part when the Indians go to a three guard set. The entire roster has needed to develop rapidly in order to replace four starters, Jessica DeLeon, Ataya Harrison, Dana Hinden and Taylor Dalton, missing from last year’s 12 and 12 squad.

Co-Captain Jessie Harris contributes toughness on both ends of the floor. Her rebounding and defensive skills often overshadow a solid offensive game around the basket. Junior forward Brooke Shifflett started last season with the junior varsity, but she gained valuable experience when varsity injuries elevated her to play with the big girls half-way through the season. Junior Alexis Flippen moves up from the JV. Both girls are called upon to add depth and scoring at the number three position. Junior guard Cady Shelton packs a lot of hustle into her tiny frame and will be specifically charged with using her speed “to hound the opposing point guard,” Coach Bowman said.

Junior Delena Short is new to the Lady Indians’ program and has a lot of familiarization in front of her. Where she will fit into Powhatan’s schemes is undetermined at this point.
The Lady Indians starting back court will be a major key to this year’s success; in a move identical to the one Coach Bowman made last season, a freshman, Marisha Berry, has been assigned the task of running the squad from the point guard position.

Last year’s freshman sensation, Hanna Livermon, has slid over to two guard where she should be able to concentrate more on scoring.

The teams lack of experienced depth dictates the style of defense the Indians play.

“We just can’t play our man-to-man against the better teams,” Coach Bowman said. The Lady Indians still plan to press often, primarily to slow the game down, and the zone defense should keep defensive fouls under control. The lack of experienced depth means “We must stay healthy and out of foul trouble,” Coach Bowman stated.

The Powhatan girls’ annual goal “is to try to win the Conference and advance into the Regionals,” Coach Bowman said.

“We have a shot because we can put points on the board. But, again, injuries and foul trouble have to be avoided. We just can’t rely on our youngsters to play major roles.”