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Rams Fighting For Their Chance

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By CRISTINA LEDRA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

PORT RICHEY - Ridgewood's win Friday against Land O' Lakes might have been surprising to some, but not to the Rams.
Ridgewood has been the dark horse in Class 5A-District 7 all season, quietly improving without the lofty expectations that Wesley Chapel and Land O' Lakes face.

The Rams have not viewed it as a foregone conclusion that the Wildcats and Gators will earn the two playoff spots. Now they have a big victory to back that up, right before the district tournament, which begins Jan. 30 at Land O' Lakes.

"It's big, because they know having as good a season as they're having record-wise and playing at their place, I think a lot more pressure is on them than on us," Ridgewood coach Greg Bollinger said of the Gators. "They talked about playing Wesley Chapel in the finals all year, and I think our girls want them to know that there's somebody else who wants to play in the finals, too."

Ridgewood's season has been a work in progress, and it began to take off right around the holidays, when the Rams played in three holiday tournaments in an attempt to diversify their schedule.
Ridgewood is 7-5 since Dec. 21, the first day of the Ashley Morrison Memorial Shootout, which the Rams hosted to begin their holiday schedule.

That's not the most glowing of records, but the importance of that flurry of games wasn't so much about wins and losses. It was more about learning how to play against different styles and better athletes.

"We actually started participating more and hanging out with each other, so just the teamwork was better," sophomore post player Kianna Mills said.

One of the things that is dangerous about the Rams is that they don't have a star or two to key on like most good teams do.
Ridgewood has six players - Jen Daun, Daylyn Williamson, Aleesa Williamson, Mills, Dalia Madison and Brittany Brosnan - who average between 9.7 and 5.8 points per game.

Focusing on any one of them won't do as much as holding a 20-point-per-game scorer to five points.

Mills and Madison were in charge of guarding Kayli Keough and held her to six points on Friday. Meghan Keough had 10 points.

"Dalia is only about 5-9 and Kianna is about 5-10 so Kayli Keough is bigger than we are. But both of them are very athletic and they can stay with her, try to make her put it on the ground and make someone else help out," Bollinger said.

The Rams won the game 46-33, a similar score to this year's first meeting, a 45-34 Land O' Lakes win.
Daun missed the first meeting with pneumonia and had nine points and 10 rebounds on Friday.

Because they beat Land O' Lakes, the Rams must meet Land O' Lakes in the first game of the district tournament, and this time the stakes will be even higher.

"It's going to have to work again for us," Bollinger said.

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