Albers chooses Faulkner
Erica Albers signs with Reed Sutton and high school coach Lady Grooms
June 30
FAIRBURN, Ga. - Arlington Christian School’s Erica Albers has signed with Faulkner University. The power forward will look to make an impact in the university’s inaugural season of women’s basketball.
"Erica was key to our second state championship title [this season]," said Arlington head coach Lady Grooms. "She played an up-temp game and made the adjustment to our running, fast break style."
Albers averaged 11 point, 10 boards and six steals per game this season.
She placed second in the long jump, triple jump and high jump in the state track meet and helped lead the Lady Eagles track team to a fourth place finish overall.
Albers was also instrumental in guiding Arlington’s women’s soccer team to a second round appearance in the state playoffs and was named the teams most improved player.
Sutton’s first women’s basketball roster taking shape
My 19
A month ago there was one player on the Faulkner women’s basketball roster after the signing of Leticia Cuellar from Westbury Christian (Houston, Texas). Now there are 12 players on the roster. A lot has happened in a short period of time, or so it seems. Head coach Reed Sutton says that isn’t necessarily the case.
"I accepted the coaching position in the middle of last December, so I was developing lists of kids at different positions at that time," he said. "I think the young ladies we have added are strong players from good programs, they are great students, and they are active in the community. I believe they have each caught the vision of our commitment to building a championship caliber program here at Faulkner."
Sutton believes that the most important position on the roster is point guard. "When you start a team, you start at the quarterback position and we have some good ones coming in," he said. Sonja Vuong, (Westbury Christian), Vittoria Poole (Lake Region State CC, Minot, N.D.), and Spenser Cantrell (Mt Dora Bible, Mt. Dora, Fla.) are all going to share time at that position.
Vuong played for Sutton at Westbury Christian where she started for four years and led the team to four Final Fours, a state championship, and a No. 9 national ranking in the USA Today poll her senior year. She is the all-time assist leader at Westbury.
Sutton on Vuong … "She was the first young lady I talked to after I took the job. She is the point guard I wanted. She is unselfish. She plays with passion and sacrifice. She gets everyone involved and she always understood and executed our game plan. I trust her. She is the type of player that young girls in the River Region will want to emulate."
Poole comes from a strong community college program led by Coach Duane Schwab. She is small in stature at five feet tall, but that doesn’t always tell the tale.
Sutton on Poole … "Vitt has incredible quickness that allows her to get into the paint on offense to draw defense, and it allows her to put great ball pressure on the opponents point guard which will trigger our pressure defense. She is a great person who has committed herself to servant leadership off the court as well. She is small in stature, but her heart is larger than life."
Cantrell is at Faulkner after stints at Covenant College and Harding University. She played for Coach Pat Todd in the strong Mt. Dora Bible High School program in central Florida.
Sutton on Cantrell … "Spenser comes from a great high school program. She gives us the versatility of playing a couple of different guard positions because of her ability to handle the ball, shoot, and her instincts on defense."
Three-point shooting is at a premium in the fast-paced, perimeter-based women’s game. There were three players added to the roster to go with Cuellar who stood out because of their ability to shoot. Katie Pavlik (McLennan CC, Waco, Texas), Jakeveya Mitchell (Our Lady of the Lakes University, San Antonio, Texas), and Alissa Hargett (Madison Academy, Huntsville, Texas) are all capable of consistently knocking down long-range shots in big games against tough opponents.
Pavlik comes in from the tough Texas community college circuit with a first team All-Conference award to her credit her sophomore year. She played for Coach Ricky Rhoades at McLennan Community College.
Sutton on Pavlik … "Pav can get really hot, really fast. She can flat out shoot it. She will take pressure off of our post play because teams won’t be able to double off of her. I am excited about the intangibles that she will bring in terms of work ethic and leadership. I am thrilled that Katie will be a Lady Eagle."
Mitchell is transferring to Faulkner from an NAIA program in Texas to be reunited with her high school coach. She was a three time TAPPS all-state player at Westbury Christian School. She was a starter on their 2009 state championship team.
Sutton on Mitchell … "J is a very smooth and productive player. She has the ability to defend an opponent’s best player at three or four different positions. She shoots a high percentage from the arc and gets a lot of baskets off of steals and defense. She always steps up in big moments, and had a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio against great competition in high school."
Hargett will attend Faulkner having been a student assistant at University of North Alabama last season. She played for the strong Madison Academy program in Huntsville, Ala., coached by former Faulkner men’s basketball standout Brian Privett.
Sutton on Hargett … "Alissa is a tough competitor that plays with a lot of poise and is versatile enough to run the point if we need her to. She shot over 40 percent from the arc against tough competition in high school. She is a spiritual giant who I will look to for leadership on our team in that area."
The Lady Eagles have also added some size and skill to the wing position from two strong private school programs to the north and to the south. Maryceleste Bell is a 5-10 scorer and rebounder from Pensacola Catholic High School in Pensacola, Fla. Katie Mullins is a 5-11 athletic wing from Middle Tennessee Christian School in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Sutton on Bell and Mullins … "MC and Katie epitomize the type of high school student-athlete that we want to recruit. They have good size, good skill at the basket, are very strong academically, have been active in community service, and have been around great teachers and coaches in their high school programs as well as in their summer AAU programs. Both players averaged around 16 points and seven rebounds per game their senior years in high school. They can help us immediately, but also have room for growth."
Sutton did not have to look very far for three student-athletes that were added to the roster. They were already on campus at Faulkner waiting patiently for the arrival of the new program. Emily Galloway (Enterprise, Ala.), Kelly Hill (Mt. Dora Bible, Mt. Dora, Fla.), and Samantha Ruddick (Hamilton, Ontario, Can.) are all welcome additions to the squad.
Sutton on Galloway … "Emily is an impressive young lady. She is a high-caliber student who is active as a student ambassador for the University. She will bring great leadership to our program. She has good skills and will continue to improve."
Sutton on Hill … "Kelly is a worker. She plays and works very hard and pays attention to detail. She is excited about following in her father’s (former Faulkner men’s basketball player Mike Hill) footsteps in impacting the basketball program in a positive way."
Sutton on Ruddick … "Sam is a high-energy player who can shoot and can be very disruptive on defense. She also plays soccer at Faulkner, so she has a very aggressive mentality combined with a rugged competitiveness. She is a winner."
Faulkner women’s basketball also has commitments from three solid post players and news of their signings will come in the next couple of weeks. The Lady Eagles start open their inaugural season on the road at Warner University in Florida on Nov. 4. Their first home game is Nov. 15 against Concordia University.
Cuellar becomes first women's basketball player
Leticia Cuellar signs as Faulkner's first women's basketball player
April 12
Leticia Cuellar, a three-year starter for Westbury Christian School in Houston, Texas, became Faulkner's first women's basketball player Monday afternoon in a signing ceremony at her high school.
Cuellar, a 5-7 shooting guard, joins her former high school coach Reed Sutton, who left Westbury after its second consecutive state championship for the opportunity to become the Eagles' first coach. Sutton is thrilled to be reunited with the sharpshooter.
"Leticia is the purest shooter that I have ever coached," Sutton said. "I am guilty of not getting her enough shot attempts as her high school coach. She is a lefty that is a deadly three-point shooter, but continues to improve her mid-range and attack game. She always plays her best in big games and never hesitates to assert herself when the game is on the line."
Cuellar was a two-time all-district player, having averaged eight points, three assists and four rebounds a game her senior season. She was a second team all-state selection this past season. She also excelled in the classroom, having earned academic all-state honors the past two seasons.
Sutton believes that Cuellar is a perfect fit for Faulkner and its inaugural women's basketball team.
"I am thrilled to have Leticia be our first signee - she represents everything that we will be looking for in a student-athlete," he said. "She is a strong player with a championship pedigree. She is an outstanding student who is respected by her teachers and will perform well in the classroom. She is a first class young lady that comes from a very good family, and is a leader on and off the court."
Sutton's Eagles will begin intercollegiate competition at the NAIA level in the 2010-2011 season. He is actively recruiting for his first team throughout the country, and will conduct a day-long camp for student-athletes interested in playing for the Eagles Saturday at Tine Davis Gymnasium on the Faulkner campus.
Sutton ends high school career in style
February 27
Information provided by the Houston Chronicle
Reed Sutton led the Westbury Christian girl’s basketball team to their second consecutive 4A title on Satruday with a 73-69 win over Liberty Christian.
Sutton, who was recently named the first women’s basketball coach at Faulkner, said he couldn’t have scripted a more perfect ending to his career at Westbury.
"I think last year, everyone expected us to win, but this year we had to fight for it," he said. "It was an all-round effort, too. We had four players in double digits and one with eight, so everyone played their role perfectly."
Though Sutton has been focused on preparing Westbury for the playoffs, he’s also managed to conduct a bit recruiting and make preliminary plans for tryouts here at Faulkner. Sutton is expected to begin full-time at the University later this spring.
Please check back soon for more information on the women’s basketball tryouts at Faulkner.
Sutton introduced as Faulkner’s first women’s basketball coach
Reed Sutton addresses the media and a large gathering of Faukner faculty and students
February 9
Reed Sutton, who for the past three seasons has been the head coach at one of the most elite high school programs in the country, was introduced as the first women's basketball coach at Faulkner University Tuesday during an on-campus press conference.
Sutton, 37, led powerhouse Westbury Christian School in Houston to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 4A state championship and a No. 9 USA Today national ranking a year ago. The opportunity to start a program at the collegiate level in a Christian environment, he says, was too much to pass up.
President Hilyer opens this afternoon's press conference
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to start the women's basketball ministry at Faulkner University," said Sutton, who has experience at the collegiate level as an assistant coach. "It is a tremendous honor and blessing for my family to be chosen to lead the program from its infancy.
"We look forward to recruiting student-athletes that the campus community can take great pride in and the young female athletes in the River Region can look up to."
The Eagles will begin competing in the NAIA’s Southern States Athletic Conference - the league in which the university is a member of for all sports but football - in the 2010-2011 season. Faulkner president Billy D. Hilyer believes the timing is right for Faulkner’s venture into women’s basketball.
"We’ve been considering it for several years now, and our students are really excited about it - especially our female students,’’ Hilyer said. "We’re looking forward to developing some good, friendly rivalries in the sport as well."
Athletic Director Brent Barker introduces Reed Sutton as the head women's basketball coach
The search for the right coach to pilot the the Eagles’ women’s basketball ship was an extensive one, Hilyer said. He’s confident that Sutton is the perfect match for Faulkner, both athletically and spiritually.
"First and most importantly, I think coach Sutton has a deep commitment to the mission of Christian education," Hilyer said. "He has been extremely successful as the coach at one of the best high school programs in Texas, and in the country for that matter. Many of his players have gone on to play collegiate basketball at the highest levels so we obviously believe he has the ability to develop talent. Also, we feel he brings an administrative knowledge that will prove vital in starting a program."
Sutton discusses coaching and recruiting philosophy with the local media
Faulkner athletic director Brent Barker, who led the search committee to identify the new coach, said all signs throughout the process pointed to Sutton.
"We obviously conducted a national search, and at every turn it seemed it always came back to coach Sutton," Barker said. "I think he is a great fit for our athletic department staff and will do a wonderful job building this program the way we want it built."
Sutton is 90-13 in his three seasons as the head coach at Westbury Christian. Last year’s state championship team was 43-1, while this season the Wildcats are 29-8 and play in the TAPPS Class 4A round of 16 Saturday. Sutton, who also serves as an assistant principal at Westbury, will finish the season before heading to Montgomery.
Coach Sutton spends time with a few of the Faulkner students after the event
Sutton has on his resume assistant collegiate coaching stints at Grand Valley State, Michigan Christian and Lincoln Memorial. At all three stops Sutton earned valuable recruiting experience that allowed him to begin the development of his coaching philosophy.
"We plan on recruiting young ladies who will compete hard every time they hit the floor and the classroom, and who will strive to be servant leaders in the community," he said.
Sutton and Darla, his wife of 16 years, have four children - Marisa (12), Kylie (11), Braden (3) and Katlelyn (2).