Engadine Eagles Varsity Girls Basketball team includes Coach Joel Schultz and players Nicole Benoit-33, Chloe Fletcher-4, Tristina Browning-23, Elicia Derusha-21, Rose Paquin-30, Autumn Rose-31, Whittney Kerridge-12, Desiree Derusha-14, and Shauni Rutledge-15. Missing from photograph is Christine Emery. Coach Joel Schultz, in his seventh season as head coach at Engadine High School, has six strong returning players with high expectations to build the 2005 girls basketball team.

Engadine will be led by Elica Derusha, center/forward, in her fourth year of varsity hoops. The junior played on the varsity as an eighth grader and will be ranked as one of the top players in the entire Upper Peninsula.

The 1,000-point career scorer earned All-Upper Peninsula, Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference Player of the Year, and The St. Ignace News Dream Team selection last year and should repeat or better her accomplishments in 2005.

Senior Desi Derusha (guard/forward) and sophomore Shauni Rutledge (guard) return for their third varsity campaign. Rutledge is the second player during Schultz's tenure to play varsity as an eighth-grade student.

Second-year varsity players are seniors Whitney Kerridge (forward/guard) and Christina Emery (guard/forward), and junior Nicole Benoit (guard). First-year varsity players include juniors Rose Paquin (center), Chloe Fletcher (guard/forward), and Autumn Rose (center), and sophomore Kristina Browning (guard).

"Strength is in our experience," said Coach Schultz. "I was pleased with our summer camp at Alpena. The competition was tough, with just one Class D and Class C school and the remaining opponents at Class A and B level. The girls must learn a variety of positions.

"We want to improve on our team and individual defense. The old cliché is defense wins championships, and that is true."

The Eagles varsity and junior varsity teams started their season with Midnight Madness at 12:01 a.m. Monday, August 15. This is the fifth year that Engadine has hosted this event and the girls like the tradition. Coaches Ty Vaughn and Coach Schultz will draft the two teams among the varsity and junior varsity squads and scrimmage for 90 minutes.

"We have the girls who want to work hard and make themselves better,” she said. “Our goals are to be successful, win the EUPC title that will carry us into the Class D tournaments. The attitudes and work ethics have been very positive and if that continues into the season, success will follow.”

Ty Vaughn will coach junior varsity and Jerry Derusha the junior high program.

The Eagles will battle for the conference title and face a strong non-league schedule that includes Menominee, Rapid River, Big Bay de Noc, Mackinaw City, Superior Central, and Mid Peninsula.

Engadine Eagles

Girls Basketball

August

30 Pickford

September

1 DeTour

6 at Rapid River

10 Menominee

15 at Brimley

17 at Alanson

20 Cedarville

22 at Mackinaw City

27 at Big Bay de Noc

October

6 Mid Peninsula

13 Rapid River

18 at Newberry

20 Brimley

25 at Cedarville

27 at Mid Peninsula

November

1 Mackinaw City

3 at DeTour

5 Newberry

8 at Pickford

10 Big Bay de Noc