“It’s like I have a lot kids this year,” Mercedes Taylor said.

The forward is one of three returning players for the Cerritos College women’s basketball team this season after a season that say the team advance to the Great Eight in last years state tournament.

“Last year’s team was really refined and had a lot of court smarts,” guard Rachel Butler said. “This year we have a lot of raw talent and will have to get into better habits.”

Besides have a lot of new players the Falcons will also have one new coach.

Tricia Raniewicz will take over the defensive responsibilities for Steven Johnson who left to help Long Beach City College.

Raniewicz has a wealth of experience ranging from coaching high school basketball to serving as a scout for the WNBA’s Houston Comets.

“We are going to get better as the season progresses and the players get closer,” she said.

Head coach Karen Welliver returns for her twenty-sixth season as coach of the Falcons and is coming off a season where she was named Southern California Coach of the Year.

“Even though we don’t have a lot of returners, we have a wealthy of experience with the players that are returning,” she said.

Taylor was named the co-MVP of last season’s team and was named to the first team all South Coast Conference team.

She was fourth on the team in points and third on the team in rebounds.

“It is going to take longer to get situated because we are so young this season,” she said of how the team is coming together this season.

Butler was the team’s sixth man last season and now is expected to take a bigger role on the team now that she is a sophomore.

“This year’s team is really quick and during the games the freshmen have exceeded expectations,” she said.

Butler was also named one of the captains for this season’s Falcons along with Taylor.