Henderson nudges Lady Scorps to strong start

FARMINGTON

An overall record can tell a lot of stories, and the Farmington High School girls’ basketball team’s 7-1 early-season record tells a tale of a team that wants to be on the radar.

The Lady Scorps’ early success is thanks to their new head coach, Larenson Henderson, blended with their desire to be a better team.

The team has embraced the strong start to their new season, which Henderson said is something they hope to continue.

“Kind of like the improvement of things. To go and compete in the state tournament, and also just to understand the consistency of basketball, taking smart shots, good shots, and executing an understanding of what it takes to play hard and tough mentally and physically,” Henderson said. “It’s my job to prepare them and if they’re not, it’s my fault. They’re teaching me as much as I’m teaching them.”

To start things off in a very good way, the Lady Scorpions won the annual Jerry Richardson Memorial Tournament early this month.

They followed up with a couple of big early victories over Bloomfield and Shiprock, oftentimes by double-digits. The record does not reflect the outcome of Farmington’s game with Aztec on Tuesday, as results were not available by deadline.

Farmington senior post and guard Jordan Vasquez said much of the success is thanks to Henderson and the coaching philosophy he’s working to instill.

“Coach Henderson has a more run-and-gun type of style for sure. We’re definitely running a lot and in better shape,” she said. “He’s really keen on defense and focuses on it.”

Farmington freshman guard Kiiyani Anitielu said it’s no secret that Henderson has been able to use the talents of the team wisely.

She said he has a brought in a change that the team is still working hard to adapt to and implement.

“It’s different, but it’s a good different,” Anitielu said. “He’s trying to get us to be more patient, look for the open players, pass the ball, and share. It’s something that we had to learn over time.”

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