By Joseph Staszewski
St. Francis Prep Coach Kevin Wagner was given his chance to grow along with the roster of his girls’ team, and the Terriers believe they are ready to reap the benefits of that.
Wagner spent the last two seasons as an assistant under his mother JoAnn. He officially takes over the head basketball job this season after she decided after nine years as varsity coach and 39 overall at SFP that it was time for her to take a step back.
JoAnn Wagner wanted the transition to be gradual by giving Kevin much of the game day and practice responsibilities a year ago. It allowed him and a roster that sported four freshmen a chance to develop together.
“The transition kind of went hand in hand,” Kevin Wagner said. “Now this year that level of comfort for me and for them is there.”
His mom remains around the team as an assistant coach. She handles much of the administrative duties, but is still at practice instructing from the sideline as Kevin and first-year assistant Kerri White work with the players on the court. The fact that both of them understand the blue-collar attitude the program has always preached makes it easier for her to take on a different role. This way, she’s not in charge of all aspects of the team.
“Having come through the program there was no needed to understand how we do things and what we do,” she said of her son.
The coaching change comes at a time when St. Francis Prep appears ready to take a big step forward as a program. The four sophomores — Sofia Recupero, Monica Zhivanaj, Elizabeth Zullo and Dana Villano — are paired with seniors like Kayla Hourany, Melissa Dericioglu, Chelsea Brandimarti and Liz Fernandez, who are in their third seasons on the varsity. The 6-foot-3 Recupero, who is garnering Division-I interest, is one of the city’s best young players and Hourany is an underrated force in the paint. They believe they will surprise people.
“Last year was like the starting point,” Hourany said. “Everyone got a little taste of us last year, now everyone is going to see we are good. We’re a team.”
The Terriers’ goals are not grand to start. They want to win a league game in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division I for the first time in three seasons and have twice as many wins as they have losses overall. Kevin Wagner has seen a different confidence in his squad.
“I think now they are sure they are that good,” he said.
Now it’s about turning that confidence and potential into wins.
Reach sports editor Joseph Staszewski by e-mail at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com.
