T.O. SENIOR SIMONETTI IS VERSATILE LEADER GUARD'S ROLE CHANGES FROM GAME TO GAME.

Byline: Nevin Barich Special to the Daily News

Melissa Simonetti is what you'd call an unsung hero.

Thousand Oaks' 5-foot-7 starting guard isn't one of the Lancers' key players because she lights up the scoreboard nor because she makes big defensive plays.

No, although Simonetti is exceptional on both sides of the court, she isn't a star player in the traditional, statistical sense. She stands out because she knows there are games when staying in the background to make that key first pass is just as important as being in the limelight to make that buzzer-beating shot.

``I think that my role on the team, as co-captain, is to be a leader on the court,'' said Simonetti, who is among the team leaders in points (averaging nearly 10 a game) and who is probably the Lancers' best ball-handler. ``There are times when I'm expected to control the ball and put points on the scoreboard and there are times when I'm supposed to create scoring opportunities for the rest of the team and step up on defense.''

And this dual role that Simonetti has played this season was most prevalent in the school's own tournament last week. In the Lancers' first two games of the tourney, the 18-year-old senior led the team with a 14-point average, including tying her season high with 17 in a quarterfinal win over Rio Mesa.

Then, in the semifinals against Arroyo Grande and its three 6-footers, her offense was limited to three shots. So Simonetti made her impact on defense, tallying three rebounds, three assists, four steals and holding Arroyo Grande starting guard Carly O'Halloran to nine points. O'Halloran, later named to the all-tournament team, stood at least three inches taller than Simonetti.

``She uses her quickness in lots of different ways,'' said Thousand Oaks coach Chuck Brown, whose team is 7-3.

Another quality that separates Simonetti is her competitive edge. No matter the situation, Simonetti's expression remains fixed and solid on the ball - a cold, steady gaze that doesn't change.

Simonetti, who led Thousand Oaks to a share of the Marmonte League title last year, began playing basketball five years ago when, as a seventh-grader at St. Paskal Private School, she joined the school team. While she played club soccer for 12 years, Simonetti realized that basketball was her true athletic love. She played for St. Paskal in eighth grade before coming to Thousand Oaks and joining the junior varsity.

After two years, Simonetti moved up to varsity where she has been starting since.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO With her skills at both ends of the court, Thousand Oaks 5-7 guard Melissa Simonetti has helped the Lancers to a 7-3 record.

Myung J. Chun / Daily News