Head Women's Basketball Coach, Andrew Morong, is pleased to announce the commitments of Taylor Esty and Seve Deery-Deraps, both of Rangeley Lakes Regional School, for the 2015-16 academic year. Esty, who just scored her 1,000th career point, and Deery-Deraps, are two of the top players in Class D, and have helped lead the Lady Lakers to a 13-0 record so far this year, good enough for the top spot in Western Maine Class D.
According to Coach Morong, "It's always interesting recruiting teammates, because there needs to be a delicate balance in the process of getting to know each of them and their families, separately. In this case, it was evident early on that both Taylor and Seve would be a great fit within our program. Not only are they tremendous basketball players, but they are incredible young women. Coach Heidi Deery has done a great job pushing them and fostering their growth on and off the basketball court. They have played in some big tournament games throughout their career and have seen their hard work payoff. I think this will make them even hungrier when they get to CM."
Esty, who committed to CM back in November, is a 6'1" forward who can handle the ball, score from the block, and knock down the three.
According to Esty, "I chose CM because I am a very competitive person and I want to help them compete for a national title. I come from a small school, so CM seemed like the perfect size. The season is a lot longer, almost double that of a high school season, and the speed of the game is a lot faster. I look forward to developing my game and becoming more versatile, competing not only against our opponents, but in practice every day as well. Coach Deery has taught me that when faced with adversity that I need to stay focused, work hard, and not make excuses, and I think this advice will help me a lot next year."
Deery-Deraps, a 5'7" guard, can score off the dribble or from deep. She is a very strong leader who is also a great communicator.
According to Deery-Deraps, "After visiting a large amount of schools I knew that CM was the best fit for me. The school is the right size and the basketball program is a program that any serious basketball player looking to play at the next level would be proud to be a part of. I know it will be a big adjustment next year, and I look forward to working hard. Coach Deery hasn't just been teaching us how to play basketball, but more importantly how to become strong independent women. By playing at Rangeley we have learned how to be reliable, how to be good teammates, and how to be dedicated to something. I think these are all qualities that will serve both Taylor and I well at the next level."
Rangeley's Head Girl's Basketball Coach, Heidi Deery, on Seve & Taylor's commitment to CM, "Taylor has begun to develop her natural ability but will have an opportunity at CMCC to take her game to the next level of competition. The program that Coach Morong has developed will be a great fit for Taylor through this process. Seve it committed and dedicated to the process of developing her game at every level. Under the coaching eye of Coach Morong, Seve will have the opportunity develop her skills and leadership ability. The athletic department at RLRS is thrilled to know that both Seve and Taylor will be moving on as students and athletes to such an outstanding program like CMCC."
