November 27, 2008 Issue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Classified Chestnut Hill Local Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or Winner of Two |
Former Georgetown star now leading GFS Tigers
Basketball fans at Germantown Friends School knew it wouldn’t be easy to replace longtime girls varsity coach Tom Myran. With this in mind, GFS administrators focused intently on the task and, to borrow a metaphor from another sport, hit one out of the park with the hiring of former Georgetown University star Ebiho Ahonkhai. “The basketball world is actually a fairly small one,” the erstwhile Hoya said, “and I learned about the position here through Micah Hauben.” Hauben, now in his third year as Director of Boys Athletics for the GFS Tigers, was an assistant coach for the women’s hoop team at Boston University for three years, and he developed a number of contacts in the college game. Born in Nigeria, Ahonkhai came to the U.S. with her family when she was one year old. She was a three-time letter-winner in both basketball and track and field at North Penn High School in Lansdale, where in just three years of varsity ball, she became the first North Penn player (male or female) to score 1000 career points. In track, she still holds the school record in the triple jump. From there it was on to Georgetown for the six-foot forward, where as a junior and senior Ahonkhai was named to the Big East All Conference Team and was the Hoyas’ MVP. As a senior, she won the 1997 Big East Scholar-Athlete Award, and finished her college career with 1272 points and 538 rebounds. She played two seasons of professional basketball in Helsinki, Finland, and when she returned to the U.S. she assisted other American players who were looking to play overseas. She also earned a law degree from Temple University, and is currently working in the product liability field for a Philadelphia firm. Last winter she was an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team at Swarthmore College, and when she heard about the opening at Germantown Friends, she thought it would be a good fit for her. Still getting to know her players, Ahonkhai said, “I see us as an athletic bunch; these girls really like to get out there and run and shoot the ball. They’re very competitive on the defensive end, as well, very communicative and active. They play other sports in the fall, so they came in here conditioned, and ready to rip-and-run.” The Tigers’ new mentor can rely on the leadership of tri-captains who are all seasoned players; senior shooting guard Nina Voith, senior forward Jasmine West, and junior point guard Shelby Tucker. Last winter Germantown finished 19-6 and was runner-up to Shipley School within the Friends School League. Unfortunately one of the starters on that GFS club, guard Julya Loder (now a sophomore) recently had ankle ligament surgery that will keep her on the sideline this winter. In one of the Tigers’ early scrimmages last week, Tucker, West and Voith were joined in the starting line-up by experienced junior forward Izzy Janzen, and by Iris Williamson, a freshman guard who also earned a starting role on the GFS soccer team this fall. Backcourt depth will come from senior Maya Williams and juniors Molly Tow and Maura Boughter-Dornfield, while sophomores Jenna Goldstein (guard) and Ava Samuel (forward) are expected to swing between the varsity and junior varsity teams. This winter the Tigers’ schedule is both long and strong, encompassing Philadelphia Public League mainstays Engineering & Science and University City, and Catholic League squads such as Little Flower and St. Hubert’s. During the holiday break there will be an excursion to Wildwood, NJ for the annual Boardwalk Classic, billed as the largest coed high school tournament in the country. ”We’re trying to up the ante here because these girls really want to compete,” Ahonkhai explained. “We’ve reached out to teams that will give us that competitive edge and improve our players. The Boardwalk Classic will be an exciting trip for our kids. They’ll get to leave Pennsylvania and play against teams that we wouldn’t ordinarily see.”
|
