By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Joplin received a less-than-amiable welcome into its first season as a Central Ozark Conference member.
The Lady Eagles finished with a 2-23 record, falling to Carthage in the opening round of district play.
Despite the result, head coach Jeff Williams praised his team’s work ethic and commitment to continued improvement.
“The best part of last season was the group of kids that we got to work with,” Williams said. “They worked hard throughout the season despite our record. I think we found that we have to continue to focus on the development of our fundamentals and taking care of the ball.”
A quintet of graduated seniors depart the program in Malia Mack, Dayleigh Smith, Matea Fowler, Grace Ipson and Blair Jordan.
“We had a group of five seniors last year that were very dedicated to the program during their four years with the program,” Williams said. “Their leadership, experience and scoring they provided will be missed.”
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Joplin will be led this season by a pair of seniors in Avery Gage (2 ppg, 2 rpg) and Madeleine Farber (3 ppg, 3 rpg).
At 5-foot-7, the duo gives the Lady Eagles some versatility at the offensive end and players Williams hopes can develop into consistent scoring options.
“Avery finishes well around the basket and has worked hard in the off season to develop a more consistent outside shot,” Williams said. “We will look for her to provide a much needed scoring presence this year from both inside and out. Madeleine is an athletic forward that will provide added depth at the guard position. She gives us a solid midrange scoring threat and will continue to improve as the season progresses.”
Brooke Nice and Lily Pagan also return to the Joplin roster.
“Brooke saw varsity floor time as a freshman last year and we will look for her to provide some scoring consistency from the guard position,” Williams said. “Lily is a feisty guard that plays much bigger than her frame. She is a spark plug on defense and not afraid to do the little things to make her teammates better.”
With a host of open spots on the roster, the Lady Eagles will look to several newcomers to compete for varsity minutes and contribute.
Ella Hafer, Brynn Driver, Jacie Jensen, Gabby Quinn and Addison Wallace could all see playing time and make significant impacts, according to Williams.
Entering his sixth season as the girls head coach, Williams will continue to develop a relatively inexperienced roster.
“Our main goal this year is to come out and compete every game,” Williams said. “We are in the spot right now of just embracing the unknown, as we have a nice mix of returners and newcomers in the program. The cohesiveness of the group will be a huge determinant on how our season will go. We are excited to see the development and improvement of the team throughout the season.”
With a greater mix of talent and depth on the roster this season, Willams believes the Lady Eagles could make considerable strides as the year progresses.
“Our potential is something that we view as a strength this year,” Williams said. “We will have a much deeper team which will hopefully lead to being able to play faster and more aggressively. Our guard play will be much improved and we will be more athletic in the post.”
For Joplin to succeed in an always-difficult COC schedule, chemistry and leadership will need to quickly develop.
“The biggest X-factor this year will be who steps up into a leadership role for us,” Williams said. “With so much inexperience, we need someone who can motivate their teammates and lead by example every day. There are several players that we see fitting into this leadership role and the development of those players will be key to the success of our season.”
Joplin opens its season at home Nov. 22 against Cassville.
