By Amanda Perkins
Despite their successes, the Stoutland Lady Tigers have lost 18 straight games to Crocker, which has stifled their quests for a district or conference championship. The team’s new coach, Nancy Ward – who led Crocker to a 23-3 season, district and conference titles, and was named the Frisco League Coach of the Year last season -may be the answer to Stoutland’s woes.
The Lady Tigers went 22-4 and were state-ranked last year, with Alexa Willard as the feature player. The 6’1” senior all-state point guard exited with Stoutland’s career single-game, single-season and career scoring records upon averaging a whopping 31.2 points per game. She also claims the state record for consecutive free throws made and career free throw percentage, and added 11.5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3.3 steals, and 3.2 assists per game. She will play Division-I ball this season at Missouri State University in Springfield. Stoutland also loses Kayla Brown, who was no slouch herself, an asset to the offense who put up 19 points (including 5 threes) against Springfield Greenwood last season.
“Of course we will have to replace Willard’s scoring with the hole she left there,” Ward said.
That scoring will come from a variety of players this season. Returning team members include Tekera Stradt, an all-conference senior post; Bailey Morrow, senior post; and Rebecca Looney, a sophomore point guard who started last season as a freshman.
Freshmen Melanie Hubbs, Sarah Pribble, Breanna Sein, Brittney Justice, and Garyn Young will look to make an impact as well.
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“We have a good nucleus of kids,” said Ward, “it will just take a while for the freshmen to get adjusted to the varsity level.” Ward added that the group is pretty athletic and thanks to their success, they know what it takes to win.
“It’s just a matter of blending the older with the newer and getting them used to playing together,” she said.
Offensively, the team has a variety of options depending on their lineup. According to Ward, they have enough post players to go big and do a power game, or to go five-out and spread the floor, for example. She likes for them to get up and down the floor and will press as much as possible, and also likes to play man. This will be a work in progress this season, as they adapt from playing a lot of zone in the past.
“Our goal is – like every team’s is, of course – we want a winning record and district and conference championships,” said Coach Ward. “But the main thing we want to do is to adjust to each other and become more of a team and try to cultivate what we want to be all about.”
