West Milford girls basketball team uses balanced attack

The West Milford High School girls basketball team is feeling no trepidation.

The Highlanders are motivated and ready to show that their hard work during preseason practices and scrimmages will pay off on the court.

West Milford opened the regular season with a 54-20 victory over Clifton on Dec. 17. The Highlanders led, 33-7, at the half.

Junior guard Avery Vacca had 12 points, and nine different players scored for the Highlanders.

West Milford is scheduled to host DePaul on Thursday, Dec. 22.

“This is the youngest team I have had in my 22 years at West Milford,’’ head coach Ray LaCroix said. “We have 31 girls in the program and 26 of them are freshman or sophomores.

“There is a lot of talent and athleticism here, but we will have some growing pains for sure though. We will be an exciting team to watch.’’

Among the key returning varsity-level student athletes are Vacca (10 points per game, Second Team All- Conference and All-County last season), senior Maggie Spagnuolo (guard), junior Kailey Maskerines (guard), junior Aubrey Fritz (forward), sophomore Adison Arciniega (guard, Honorable Mention All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-County last season), sophomore Laurel Space (wing, Honorable Mention All-County last season), sophomore Vivian Sirnik (guard), sophomore Ally Gruber (guard), sophomore Lily Kreutzer (guard) and sophomore Amanda O’Brien (forward).

“Maggie is our leader and a good rebounder and three-point shooter,’’ LaCroix said. “Maggie is our captain and the sole senior in the program. She leads best by example as she works incredibly hard every day and is a wonderful teammate.

“Avery is our top returning scorer. Kailey is one of our top defenders and will look to score more points this season. Aubrey’s our best shot blocker and is looking to build on a strong finish last season.

“Vivian is probably our best athlete who brings a spark to the team. Ally is a strong defender who is not afraid to shoot. Lily is one of our more versatile players who can step up this season. Amanda was our top rebounder on JV last season.’’

Top newcomers to the varsity roster include freshmen guards Sarah Benowitz and Sara Wardlaw.

“Sarah is already one of the best shooters in the program and can be a spark offensively,’’ the coach said. “Sara is one of our best athletes. She’s incredibly tough and a strong defender.’’

West Milford posted eight overall wins last year. The team advanced to the NJSIAA North 1 Group 2 sectional tournament, where it was defeated by a very good Dumont team.

“We have reached the state (sectional) tournament for a straight decade now, and we plan on keeping that streak alive with hopefully positioning ourselves for a better seed than the past few years,’’ LaCroix said.

“Double-digit wins and fighting for a winning record are two goals we are definitely reaching for. As always, we want to advance in the county tournament as well.’’

The Highlanders compete in the Big North Conference Independence Division.

“I view us a contender in the division, but we will have our hands full because there are no nights off in our league,’’ he said. “Wayne Valley won the league last year but graduated their entire starting lineup. They are always a threat though.

“Wayne Hills, Fair Lawn and Lakeland return with a lot of outstanding players and experience and Passaic Valley is solid too. We plan on being in the mix for sure.’’