Depth of talent is usually a giant concern for a first year high school but that isn’t the case for the Stansbury girls basketball team. In fact, head coach Kenzie Newton says that having too many good players can be seen as a positive and a negative but she isn’t complaining.

“My biggest challenge this year is that I don’t have five set players who I know can start,” Newton said. “It is a small challenge as a coach but for the players it is good because they get to challenge each other every day in practice for more playing time.”

Newton mentioned that for the first time in a while that she can look down at her bench about 10 players deep and still not lose much. “Anybody that I put in is going to bring something good on the court, whether it is scoring or rebounding or anything,” Newton said.

A common staple of a Newton-coached team is the full-court press and Stansbury has the players to run that press effectively. “We really have a lot of quick guards,” Newton said. “We are also able to sub in more players so that we won’t get worn out when the fourth quarter rolls around.”

The Stallions have a number of players with varsity experience. Marissa Robbins is an extremely athletic player that will have to move more into a scorer role for Stansbury. Seniors Kylee Harris and Brittani Stewart are both small guards that will handle the ball quite a bit.

The depth continues at guard with Sharon Lyman and Loretta Beaty, who both played varsity time at Tooele last year along with Tashina Hathaway. Newton characterizes Lyman as a leader on the court while Beaty has a great mind for the game of basketball.

Hannah Allred and Cassidy Christiansen are both going to contribute in the paint. Other players that Newton expects to battle for playing time are Kendal Levine, Dani Mohler, Amanda Martinez, Sammi Manchester, Erica Alvey, Lindsay Droubay and Abby McIntyre.

A lot of Stansbury players have ample varsity experience for other teams and Newton is confident that the experience will help get the jitters out before the first game.

“I think the main thing that the girls need to learn is the belief that they can win basketball games,” Newton said. “Earning a couple pre-season wins will help in that aspect.”

The Stallions will look to get better in each game and focus on the small things this season to show that basketball can progress at the school. Also the battling at each position will help the players improve as coach Newton will see who will step up to face the challenge.

“I am just excited for the upcoming season,” Newton said. “It is a brand new school and there is a lot of hype about the school and the new uniforms but the girls are working hard and I am impressed with them.”

Stansbury will have their basketball bash on Friday at 7 p.m. and then open the season at Westlake on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Jake Gordon: jgordon@tooeletranscript.com