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'The Twins' Have Dual Goals

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By LEE DIEKEMPER

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 29, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - When Land O' Lakes' girls basketball squad clobbered Ridgewood 70-23 on Jan. 23, Land O' Lakes coach Laurie Pacholke put a finger right away on why the score may have been lopsided.

"It might have been different if they had the twins," Pacholke said.

"The twins" are Ridgewood starting guards Aleesa and Daylyn Williamson. They were absent from the game, and it was an absence that was avoidable.

And Ridgewood coach Greg Bollinger wouldn't have avoided the absence if it meant his job as a teacher.

The reason for the twins' situation was both were taking college courses at Pasco-Hernando Community College. In what is known as dual enrollment, the twins are taking part in a program that allows high school students to also take college classes.

When the program the Williamson sisters are in concludes this spring, both will have enough college credits for an associate degree in arts, or roughly two years worth of a college education.

Periodically, a coach can be found who would balk at such an arrangement if it meant any type of conflict with the team, but rare is an education worth his or her ink on their teacher's certificate willing to pull such a stunt.
Bollinger is like-minded.

"God, school, family and basketball," Bollinger recited, his core values in order of significance. One could hear the disappointment in his voice when discussing the lopsided loss to Land O' Lakes without the twins.

But Bollinger wouldn't have it any other way.

"Sure, we would have liked to have had them for a district game," Bollinger said. "The team wanted them to play. The twins wanted to play. Unfortunately the game was on a Thursday night."

Per Bollinger, only a handful of students are able to complete the program, so it is somewhat unusual. The Williamson sisters are the first players Bollinger has had who are scheduled to complete the program.

INJURY HEALING: After going 17 games, while losing only one game, Wiregrass Ranch has lost two of their last five. Part of that reason is the loss of leading scorer Regan Knapik.

The junior had a high ankle sprain in her right leg earlier this month, but Bulls coach Greg Finkel said she will be fine and ready to play next week when the postseason begins.

In the meantime, Finkel suggests Knapik's loss may have been a small blessing. With her out of the lineup, the rest of the Bulls have had to play different roles and learn to adjust.

Additionally, the Bulls bench players got significantly more play late in the season, which was unexpected. This could pay off in a big way. Finkel believes it already has.

"I can't say enough how well the girls have played," Finkel said. "Our reserves and bench have gotten a lot of playing time and they have played exceptionally."

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