Wednesday night marked the first game of the 2021 season for the Parkland women’s basketball team. Friday night is the debut of the Parkland men’s basketball team this year. And on Sunday, the Parkland volleyball team is set to take the court. Before their programs are full-go this winter, Sports Editor Matt Daniels caught up with all three coaches — Anthony Figueroa (men’s basketball), Cliff Hastings (volleyball) and Allie Lindemann (women’s basketball) — for the lowdown on how relieved they are to get to this point and what to expect out of their teams this season:
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Coach: Anthony Figueroa
Record: 185-65 in nine seasons
Notable achievement: The former Centennial standout has had three teams qualify for the NJCAA Division II national tournament.
Season goals: Figueroa isn’t moving the goalposts for his team even in an atypical season. The Cobras still intend to compete for a conference and region championship. Figueroa doesn’t want his players to think differently. But there is the bigger picture.
“Good health and simply getting to play as many games as possible would be a gigantic success for us during the pandemic,” he said. “We’re very anxious, yet cautious at the same time. Everything is so fragile right now. You try not to get too high or excited just in case things don’t go as expected.”
Changes: Parkland’s focus since getting back on the court last fall for practices, and gearing up again in the new year for its revised season, has always been Friday’s 5 p.m. opener at Lincoln Trail. Any discussion about what’s next has been put on hold, but the Cobras did have to do some adjusting to basketball in a pandemic.
“We were able to practice during the first semester, and it was great to be back on the court,” Figueroa said. “We have a set of protocols and checks we have our guys do every day, sometimes multiple times a day. We’ve incorporated more hand and equipment sanitizing, which we actually should’ve been doing more of anyway. We just want to stay ready for any- and everything.”
On the court: Just three players return that had sizable playing time in 2019-20, including Champaign Central product Sam Beesley and guards Kelvin Swims and Kamari Kenemore. All three were in reserve roles a year ago. Roles that will increase this season. Still, the Cobras were ranked No. 10 in the preseason NJCAA Division II poll.
“They all can bring some leadership and simply experience from within our program and how we try to do things,” Figueroa said about his top three returning sophomores.
VOLLEYBALL
Coach: Cliff Hastings
Record: 545-51 in 11 seasons
Notable achievement: If an average of just shy of 50 wins per season wasn’t enough, the Cobras are regular participants in the NJCAA Division II national tournament and won the 2015 and 2016 championships.
Championship minded: Parkland’s “happy to be here” time came in the fall when the No. 1-ranked Cobras got back on the court together to practice after their season was postponed. The focus shifted in the run-up to Sunday’s season opener. The primary goal for the program didn’t change.
“We don’t step on the court to just participate,” Hastings said. “We’re here to win nationals each and every year. We spent some weeks in the fall simply appreciating the opportunity to be here. Although in the back of our brains we’re always living with this appreciation, we’re focused on preparing for success translated to victories and national success.”
Key leaders: The way Hastings has structured his program, freshmen always get thrown in the fire a bit as preparation for their time to lead as sophomores. Some have larger roles than others, but six returning sophomores for this season sets the Cobras up nicely. Particularly with setter Summerlyn Smith, who was named one of six preseason players to watch nationally.
“We’re a very peer-driven team with my role to teach the sophomores to lead and how to lead the freshmen,” Hastings said. “When it’s 25-24 with pressure on their shoulders, they need to know how to communicate and lead each other.”
Thinking differently: The Cobras all had to get a COVID-19 test when practice resumed earlier this month. All the tests were negative, which allowed an immediate resumption of activity.
Symptom checks and temperature checks, which were a key component of fall workouts, continue. It’s part of how Parkland has had to think differently about training.
“We had a lot of discussions in the fall of trying to retrain these young athletes’ brains in that they’ve always been taught to be tough and work through illness,” Hastings said. “That’s ingrained in them, so I’ve had to really push to retrain them that we are now athletes in a world where if you cough, then you probably need to stay home to see how that progresses.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Coach: Allie Lindemann
Record: 24-7 in one season
Notable achievement: The former Champaign Central star and 2006 News-Gazette Player of the Year kept up Parkland’s winning ways in her first season as coach andcame within a double-overtime loss to No. 1 seed ICC of reaching the central district title game in 2019-20.
Ready to start: Parkland’s first “official” practice for the 2021 season was Jan. 4, but the No. 14 Cobras were able to get on the court together in early October. Four months of thathad them more than ready to open the season Wednesday with a 71-62 home victory against Jefferson College.
“They have come in day in and day out and have worked hard and deserve this opportunity to compete,” Lindemann said. “We are also very humbled and thankful to be able to step on the court as many programs at all levels are not able to do so. … Our athletes have really done a phenomenal job in terms of taking everything day by day and coming in with a purpose even during those times where it was hard to find that purpose.”
Veteran squad: Lindemann will benefit from returning two starters in former St. Joseph-Ogden standouts Peyton Crowe, the Cobras’ second-leading scorer, and Bree Trimble. Key reserves Ariana Booker and Naomi McDaniel are also back.
“The strength they bring as a unit is versatility,” Lindemann said. “We have both a strong inside/outside presence, and the freshmen have come in this year and have proven they will be able to contribute strong minutes, as well. Any given night we will have a different high scorer, we aren’t relying just on one to put up big numbers.”
Strict protocols: Daily symptom and temperature checks have become routine for the Cobras. With the season now underway, gameday protocols become part of that routine. “For games, our bench will be on the opposite side of the gym, chairs spaced 6 feet apart,” Lindemann said. “Players and coaches will all wear masks while on the bench, and everyone will have their designated chair for the game. No fans will be allowed; however, our home games will now have the livestream capability.”
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