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Mustangs Look To Hillmon As Leader

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By CRISTINA LEDRA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 28, 2007

TRINITY - Mitchell lost four of its five starters from last season, but the Mustangs aren't starting over from scratch this year.

Instead, the Mustangs have become Latoya Hillmon's team and it's a job she takes very seriously.

"I feel like I have a big responsibility now," Hillmon said. "I mean, I know I do because a lot of girls look up to me and they go by my example.

"Last year I would get angry and get a foul and this year I just look over at my coach and she's just like 'Calm down,' so she keeps me calm a lot. But she's not going to be there all the time to keep me calm so I have to think about it when she's not around."

In the early season, the Mustangs have relied heavily on defense, which was Hillmon's specialty on a team of shooters last season.

This year, she needs to be a leader on both sides of the ball.

"Her jump shot has improved a lot and her free throws have improved a lot, so she's helping us out there," Mitchell coach Stephanie Koslin said. "She's really stepped up a lot and we're counting on her for a lot on offense and defense."

This season, the Mustangs have scored 37, 71 and 36 points in their first three games, all wins. The 71 points came against first-year Sunlake and the 37 and 30 were against St. Petersburg and Ridgewood.

"I think some of the girls need to get their confidence up and they will," Koslin said. "But we have some work to do."

Conversely, Mitchell has given up 26, 11 and 30 points in those three games.

"Defense, that's going to be our team," Koslin said. "Offensively we're going to get better. It's the only thing we can do. We're going to work on our offense in practice. We lost a lot of shooters from last year."

Koslin, who is 7 1/2 months pregnant, expects to finish the season before she gives birth because she is due shortly after the district tournament.

"That'll be a story if I pop before that," Koslin joked.

Koslin was pregnant with her first child two seasons ago around the same time of year.

TURNOVERS ALL AROUND: Ridgewood went into last week's game against Mitchell as one of the higher scoring teams in the county in the young season but turnovers were a big problem against Mustangs. The Rams recorded 33 turnovers in the 36-30 loss, though Mitchell had about as many too. Ridgewood also had 23 in a 66-25 win against Zephyrhills.

GAMES TO WATCH: Mitchell plays at Sickles on Thursday in a 6A-7 district game. Both teams have been strong to start the season and Sickles, one of the best teams out of Hillsborough County, hung on to beat Wesley Chapel last week in the Wildcats' Thanksgiving Shootout.

Next Tuesday, Wesley Chapel and Land O' Lakes meet in a huge 5A-7 district game and Sunshine Athletic Conference match-up that will undoubtedly set the tone for their second meeting of the season in January.

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