Sophomore athletes played key role in Skyline's basketball championship

It's been several days since the Skyline girls basketball team brought home its first state title since Jimmy Carter was in office. By now the Eagles should be nearly finished celebrating and picking out their championship rings.

The rest of 5A, however, should be just about finished licking their wounds. And once they are finished doing that, they should start being afraid, very afraid.

Because perhaps the most impressive aspect of Skyline's win is the fact that it was mostly powered by underclassmen. Sophomores. Kids who just finished taking drivers ed.

Jenteal Jackson and Dani Peterson, two of Skyline's three players that were named to the All-Tournament team, have yet to finish the 10th grade.

Despite their relative youth, Jackson's leadership and Peterson's presence proved to be a winning combination during the Eagles' championship run.

"They were both amazing for us," says senior forward Alicia White. "They're really mature both on and off the court. They don't act like sophomores at all."

Although Jackson may seem to have come out of nowhere, her rise to the top has been nearly two years in the making. After playing sparingly for the first half of last season, she took over the starting spot at point and hasn't let go.

"Jenteal really impressed me during the state tournament last year," says head coach Deb Bennett. "She was just a freshman, but she played with the poise and maturity of someone much more experienced."

Jackson hails from a very athletic family, and grew up seeing her older sisters dominate the tennis court. She gives her parents and siblings most of the credit for teaching her what it takes to be the best.

"Ever since I was little I've watched the other people in my family play sports," says Jenteal. "They showed me what it takes to be at the top, to compete at this level."

While Jackson had already proven herself as a key cog in the Eagles' offense, Peterson started this year as an enigma of sorts. Skyline had lost both its post players to graduation in 2005, and entered the season looking to solve the mystery in the middle.

"I seriously had no idea who was going to play at post for us this year," admits Jackson. "That was a big issue for us at the beginning of the season."

Thanks mostly to her long frame and intense workout ethic, Peterson quickly proved to be the post player that the Eagles so desperately needed. Her ability to block, rebound, intimidate and do everything short of mugging the opposition made her a force to be reckoned with.

"Dani has improved exponentially over this season," says Bennett. "She put in the time and effort in practice, and it has really paid off for her."

While the 2005-2006 basketball season has ended, Jackson and company are already looking forward to next year. And frankly, they're excited.

"Things," Jackson said, "are only going to get better from here."

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E-mail: tquinn@desnews.com