The Walnut Grove girls have made six consecutive trips to the Final Four with five trips to the championship game and three state titles. Don’t expect that success to wane after a state runner-up finish a year ago with a strong group returning that will be backed up by a stellar freshman class.
The Lady Tigers lost 43-34 to Mercer in the Class 1 State Championship game in March. That loss has provided all the motivation the Lady Tigers have needed in the offseason.
“I think that has motivated them tremendously,” Walnut Grove head coach Rory Henry said. “Our seniors have won a championship as freshman and now gotten second and third. I know they want to go out as champions, and it’s something that we talked about all summer. The underclassman were all around when we won but have not got to experience that yet, so I know that they are hungry to leave their legacy.”
The Lady Tigers will feel the loss of graduated all-state selection Raylie Hejna who averaged 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game
“Obviously we will miss Raylie’s size and we can’t replace that. However, Raylie brought a toughness and leadership that we will miss as well,” Henry said. “We will become a different style team without her in there this year. We will rely more on pressure and speed and look to increase the tempo of the game from where we have been.”
The Lady Tigers return everything else from last year’s state runner-up team.
Everything starts with star guard Bayley Harman. Harman is the reigning Class 1 Player of the Year. She averaged 24 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and four steals per game as a junior. She currently sits at 1,816 career points.
“Bayley has potential to have a huge season for us. She was incredible last year and had to play every second of every game and handle the ball the whole game,” Henry said. “This year we are going to be deep enough to get her breaks when needed and we can move her all over the floor to exploit mismatches. She may get a lot of her points this year while playing in the post. She is a very versatile player and I’m really excited about what we can do with her this year.”
Junior Grace McPhail is a two-year starter that was third on the team in scoring last year at about nine points per game. Senior Grace Miller is a strong post player. Fellow junior Myranda McVay is a guard that shoots the ball well. Cortney Stevens is a strong sophomore defender that saw a lot of minutes last year. Courtlyn Ryker saw a lot of action in her freshman year last season.
This year’s freshman class is seven players strong and will contribute in a big way immediately.
Faith Gilkey will step in at point guard, which will allow Harman to play off the ball. Gilkey is strong defensively and getting to the rim according to Henry. Lauren Johnson is a tall and athletic guard that will play all over. Makayla McVay is a strong shooter that can play inside and out. Sadye Crump, Morgain Hailey, Taylor Gold and April Countryman will also push for varsity minutes.
Walnut Grove has put together a strong schedule that includes defending state champions Strafford and Skyline along with Class 5 Ozark and Lebanon, Class 4 Rogersville and many more strong opponents.
Henry hopes that schedule gets his team ready for a state championship run.
“Every year we expect our teams to compete for a final four and state championship. This year is no different for us. This may be one of the best groups I have had a chance to coach here. We have some really freshman to go along with our returners from last year. We have a great mix of size and speed,” Henry said. “I expect that our record may not look the best at the end of the year, but I think it will prepare us to play in the post season and hopefully send our seniors out on top.”
Walnut Grove opens the season Nov. 27 through Dec. 2 at the Ash Grove Tournament.
