Anderson Gets Call For Cheney Blackhawks Look To 5-7 Senior To Provide Scoring

Not that anyone expects 5-foot-7 Lisa Anderson to fill the void left by 6-3 Jenny Hoots.

But Cheney coach Marty Jessett wants Anderson, his defensive specialist, to concentrate more on her offense this year.

Last year, in Anderson’s junior season, Cheney had a simple offensive strategy that led the Blackhawks to the State AA semifinals:

Feed the ball inside to senior Hoots or let senior Erin Soliday fire from outside.

Because the Blackhawks have lost Hoots and Soliday - and their combined 25 points per game - somebody must pick up the slack. Jessett nominates the lightning-quick Anderson.

“She has a better jumper and better moves (this year),” Jessett said. “We have to have her on the floor. Our intensity level just drops off when she’s not out there.”

“Last year, he wanted me to set the tone for defense,” said Anderson, who averaged 7.4 ppg. “This year, they’re looking for me to shoot more. I need to work on my shot and be more confident.”

Confidence has never been a problem for Anderson on the soccer field. She was named the Frontier League’s offensive most valuable player in the just-completed season.

Anderson was all-Frontier honorable mention in basketball last season. That relatively low rating confounded Jessett, who knew what Anderson’s steals and defensive hounding meant to the team.

“She’s kind of the leader, the heart and soul out there,” Jessett said. “She works her tail off in practice every day.”

Cheney will have to work harder than last year, when the Blackhawks fashioned a 22-0 record before injuries at state barred them from the championship game.

Yet a solid group of youngsters has Cheney (4-2) on a three-game streak with league play looming.

“I think we can all come together,” Anderson said. “By going to state last year … we can see everything we went through - the hard work - and that it can happen.”

Anderson competed in sprints and relays during last spring’s track and field season. She may switch to out-of-school soccer this spring, in preparation for college play.

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