CANTON, Dec. 7 – A new era is beginning this winter with the Canton High girls basketball team. It’s a relatively new team with a new coach.
Sarah Benedetti, one of the best players in school history, is now playing Division I basketball at St. Francis of New York, draining three-point shots for the Terriers. A three-time All-State and four-time All-NCCC player, Benedetti scored 1,653 points in her Canton career. She was one of four seniors in the starting lineup last winter for the Warriors (12-11, 10-6 NCCC).
Jeanne Holian didn’t return as coach after six years and four straight berths in the Class S tournament. In her place is first-year coach Michael Jessie, a former longtime assistant coach with Bristol Eastern. Jessie has spent the last eight years on the staff of veteran coach Tony Floyd.
Junior Amanda Curvino is the only player returning who had significant playing time last year. Kirsten Kronschnabel and Lauren Zukowski are the only seniors on the team. Curvino, Jessica Lederman, Abby Brophy and Lauren Ronge are the juniors. There are several promising sophomore players, too. It’s not a big team, either. Kronschnabel is the tallest player at 5-foot-9.
“Everyone will have to be able to handle the ball,” Jessie said. “Our athleticism is a plus. We have kids who can run and get up and down the floor.”
It will be a challenge against some talented teams in the NCCC. But Jessie sees that the team is up for it.
“They’re all working hard,” he said. “They’re all very good kids and they have the desire to get better. They know that they are going to have to step up now and making the plays.”
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