GIRL'S BASKETBALL: A SARAH OF ALL TRADES IMPROVED MCINTOSH HAS DONE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING FOR HART.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

The change in Sarah McIntosh was obvious even in the summer, when the main goal for girls' basketball players is simply to get in a groove with teammates during informal tournaments.

McIntosh had been a good player in her two previous varsity seasons, good enough to be a part-time starter last year, but as she prepared to enter her senior year, a newfound confidence was evident and did not escape the notice of coach Dave Munroe.

``You could tell she just felt much more confident in her outside shooting and ballhandling,'' Munroe said. ``She has always been a hard worker on defense and a very hard worker in practice.''

McIntosh isn't the team leader in points, rebounds or assists, but her overall play is a big reason why the Indians are battling for first place in the Foothill League.

She has the shooting ability (19 of 40 from 3-point range) to play the two-guard position and the ballhandling skills to play the point, as she has in several games this year even though Hart already has one of the area's top point guards in Amanda Patton.

The move isn't a knock on Patton - it's an expression of faith in McIntosh, who often doesn't need to look at Munroe to know what he wants to run on the court.

``I've known coach for a long time, probably since I was about 8 years old,'' said McIntosh, who grew up playing various sports with Jenny Munroe, the coach's daughter. ``I pretty much know what he likes to run in certain situations.''

Munroe, who usually doesn't leave much to chance while coaching a game, trusts McIntosh enough to let her make her own decisions, the biggest sign of confidence a coach can give.

``She can make the calls because she knows everything we do in our system,'' Munroe said. ``Even if I don't make eye contact with her, she's smart enough to make the calls on her own. That's the sign of a leader and that's what you want in a point guard.''

It's also what Munroe wants out of a senior, which is a rarity at Hart this season. McIntosh and post player Briana Brigandi are co-captains this year, and McIntosh provides the verbal leadership on a team with a lot of quiet girls.

``It's my senior year and I know I'm expected to kind of step up and take charge,'' McIntosh said. ``Coach wants me to talk it up and take a leadership role on the team.''

Much of McIntosh's leadership seems to come from playing volleyball, a sport that requires constant on-court communication. McIntosh started at outside hitter for the Indians, who won the Foothill League title, and didn't miss a beat in the brief transition between sports.

But volleyball is just a fun diversion for McIntosh, who skipped club volleyball to concentrate on basketball and even participated in Saturday basketball leagues during the fall.

``It usually takes girls a couple weeks to get back into it, but Sarah didn't take very long because of her conditioning,'' Munroe said. ``I think it goes back to the summer leagues, because she really matured as a player. When you're successful, you have confidence in yourself, and Sarah has that confidence right now.''

MCINTOSH FILE

Name: Sarah McIntosh

School: Hart

Sport: Girls' basketball

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

Comments: McIntosh, at 5-foot-7, leads the team in 3-point shooting (19 of 40 this year) and is part of a strong guard trio along with Ali Campbell and Amanda Patton. . . . Also a starter on the Hart's volleyball team, she is a co-captain and the most vocal player on the team. ``The girls look up to her and she is a very coachable captain,'' coach Dave Munroe said.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: Sarah McIntosh's confidence in her game grew over the summer and now she's a key leader for Hart as it battles for first place in the Foothill League.

Box: McIntosh File (see text)