Head Coach: Jeff Miller (1st Season)

2007-8 Season: 16-6 (7-5, 4th place NEMC)

Returning players: Ashley Tanner, sr. (G); Cory Durham, sr. (C.); Jessica Dietzel, sr. (F); Cortney Bork, jr. (G)

New to varsity: Stephanie Hinkley, sr. (transfer from Arenac Eastern); Ashley Worden, jr.; Rachel Barnes, jr.; Alexis Ragels, jr.; Shanaisse King, jr.; Kayla Camp, jr.; Nicole Tanner, jr.

Outlook: New Whittemore-Prescott girls basketball coach Jeff Miller knows he has his work cut out for him this season. Just four seniors return from last season, and his inexperienced lineup will be running up against a North East Michigan Conference in which most of the other five teams have the majority of their top players returning from a year ago.

“It's going to be an uphill challenge,” Miller says. “We'll need to work our butts off to stay competitive with teams like Standish, Tawas and John Glenn.

“I feel a little like Rich-Rod (Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez). With me being new, it's going to take awhile to get things going.”

Miller coached the Ogemaw Heights boys squad prior to current coach Jon VanOosten and is the father of W-P alum Jessie Miller, who still ranks fourth on the all-time MHSAA scoring list with 2,503 career points.

This year's cupboard isn't entirely bare, though. Senior center Cory Durham (6.6 points per game) is a strong defensive presence in the middle, and scrappy point guard Ashley Tanner (4.7 ppg) was a starter for most of last season. Junior guard Cortney Bork (5.5 ppg) displayed an outside shooting touch last year and started several games. Jessica Dietzel also returns, while the Cards pick up Arenac Eastern transfer Stephanie Hinkley (3.0 ppg), a varsity contributor last year.

“Ashley is going to carry a big load at point guard,” Miller says. “Cory is very capable inside as well. She catches the ball well and has good footwork. We need her to be a presence in there every game.”

Miller hopes that playing what will be a very tough regular-season schedule will pay off when the Cards reach district tournament play, with schools much closer to their size than they'll see in the NEMC.

“We need to recognize the level we're at, and improve that level by the end of the year,” he says. “Hopefully when we play in the tournament we'll have a step up experience-wise.”