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By RALPH COX
WEIRTON -- Last season was tumultuous to say the least for the Madonna girls' team. The Blue Dons struggled through 22 games winning only four, and veteran coach Don Ogden resigned prior to the end of the season.
Corey Wingett replaced Ogden as the interim head coach to finish out the season and Rodney Boniti, who has a daughter on the team, was hired as the new head coach of the Blue Dons.
In addition to a new coach, the girls will be playing in a newly refurbished Bill Barrett Gymnasium on the resurfaced Joanna Bernabei Court. In addition, the Dons will be dressing in new digs as the home locker room also has been refurbished to include new lockers, carpeting, fresh paint and several other upgrades.
Boniti inherits a team that returns intact because there were no seniors a year ago. However, it still remains a young team with only two seniors this year.
"We have three returning starters and another girl that was a part-time starter," Boniti, a 1985 Weir graduate, said. "While we have that type of experience returning, we're still a young team because we have three girls that sat out last year because of injuries and a third that got playing time last year, but didn't play as a freshman or sophomore."
The seniors are Casey Canei, who will be a four-year letter winner, and Gianna Mascio, who got playing time last year after sitting out as a freshman and sophomore. The juniors are Andrea Alimario, a three-year letterman; Gia Riccadonna, who started last year; Rachel Boniti, Carley Dowiak and Gabbie Staffileno. The later three sat out most of last year with injuries. The part-time starter is sophomore Kennedy Martin.
Boniti's daughter, Rachel, was the starting point guard as a freshman with the team of three years ago that went deep into the postseason. She was out eight months last year recovering from surgery to repair a torn hip labrem and missed her entire sophomore season.
Dowiak played sparingly last year after suffering a concussion and a sprained ankle. Staffileno also severely rolled an ankle early last season and couldn't return.
Boniti, who has experience coaching many of these same girls when they were in grade school and middle school, said he is excited about the potential of this team.
Dave Lammers is Boniti's varsity assistant and Wingett will be the Madonna junior varsity coach.
Dec. 7: at Valley 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 9: Southern 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 11: Steub. Catholic 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 14: at Weir 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 16: Caldwell 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 20: Valley 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 27: at Notre Dame 6 p.m.
Dec. 29: Charleston Catholic* 4 p.m
Dec. 30: Undo's TBA
Jan. 3: at St. John 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 9: Trinity 7 p.m.
Jan. 13: at Caldwell 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 16: at Oak Glen 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20: at Trinity 7 p.m.
Jan. 22: at Steub. Catholic 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 25: Weir 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 27: Parkersburg Catholic 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 31: Notre Dame 6 p.m.
Feb. 3: at Magnolia 1:30 p.m.
*Undo's at WJU