How much faster can fast get?

The quick-pace, up-and-down style River Ridge has been accustomed to will get faster under first-year coach Tom Kelly.

And that’s how he likes it.

“You’re going to think (last year) was slow,” Kelly said.

While the offensive style for the Hawks will be relatively the same as previous years, the girls basketball program is seeing another difference: its fourth coach in the past six seasons.

Kelly came to River Ridge from White Pass, where he spent the past 20 seasons at the helm of the girls basketball program.

His record is impressive, guiding the Panthers to seven state tournament appearances. From 2005-09, they earned five consecutive state trophies, including last season’s sixth-place finish at the Class 2B state tournament in Spokane.

He noted with the combined forces of athletic teams at White Pass and Morton high schools meant it was time for a change.

“It’s hard to be true to more than one school at a time,” Kelly said.

Walking into a new high school setting and a new team wasn’t exactly a new territory the first day of tryouts. He spent the fall watching the players and getting to know them and what they can and can’t do on the basketball court.

He’s in a dream situation at River Ridge and the style he brings is a perfect match. The team returns all five starters – Samira and Jasmine McDonald, Kelsey Russell, Jennifer Cole and Monteaka Norwood – from last year’s 14-11 team that advanced to state for the sixth consecutive season.

The experience and the varsity nucleus in tact is a big plus.

“It’s going to come a lot more easier for us,” said Norwood, a senior guard/wing. “We’ve worked together and know what to expect out of one another.”

Samira McDonald, a sophomore point guard, led the team in scoring last season at 15 points per game, making her the lone freshman on the all-Evergreen Conference first team. But Kelly noted that with the up-tempo style and play of his speedy guards, he expects to see three of four players in double figures in any given game. They’ll most likely not be the biggest team on the floor, but they’ll be the quickest. Cole, a junior, is the tallest player at 5-foot-11.

Players have caught on quickly to Kelly’s system.

“Everyone is giving it their all at practice,” senior guard Natasha Trinidad said. “We’re doing a lot of team stuff to get the chemistry going. I think things are working out pretty well.”

River Ridge is two years removed from winning the second of back-to-back 2A state titles with Russell and Jasmine McDonald as starters on the 2007-08 state title-winning team.

The Hawks come off a season in which they finished third in the Evergreen Conference at 10-6 with no seniors on the roster. Their 0-2 mark at last year’s state tournament snapped an 11-game winning streak at state.

Elma is an overwhelming favorite to win the EvCo title. The Eagles feature three college-bound players, including reigning co-MVPs Brandi Thomas (Washington State) and Katie Colard (Western Washington). The other senior, Lindsey Levanen, a transfer from Prairie, will play at The Masters College.

Elma is coming off a 19-6 campaign and earned the fourth-place trophy at the 2A state tournament, the team’s second consecutive state placing and highest finish since 1999.

Kelly has his eyes on “big things” for his new team.

He’s fresh to the Evergreen Conference as a coach, but when he coached at White Pass, he said expectations every year were nothing short of a league championship.

He hopes to get that – and more – with River Ridge.

“Things are looking good,” Kelly said. “I love the team and everything around it so far. I’m excited to get things going.”

Meg Wochnick: 360-754-5473

mwochnick@theolympian.com