By Chris Parker
Carthage girls basketball won 15 games last season and finished above .500 for the first time since 2021.
Work in the off-season will be the biggest factor for Carthage to consistently push for the 20-win barrier, which hasn’t been reached by the program since 2011-12.
“We are still working on our culture to include that year-round buy-in to what it takes to be successful,” Carthage head coach Scott Moore said. “We hope that as players take more advantage of our off-season opportunities to get better like 10,000 shot club, spring, summer and fall workouts, we will see the benefits of that on the court and in the win-loss record. Also, our youth basketball association is in its third year of existence. I think that once we have those players fully transitioned to the high school, we will be able to consistently compete for that 15–20-win range on a yearly basis.”
This season, four players return for Carthage including Halle Endicott (5’9 sophomore), Ashleigh Rowden (5’7 senior), London Shepherd (5’8 junior) and Riley Cochran.
Moore on Endicott: “Halle started a few games last year due to injuries, but we will need her to step up and average double figure scoring for us this season. She has the offensive skill set to do just that; we just need to get her the ball in the ways she likes to score.”
Moore on Rowden: “Ashleigh started a few games last year due to injuries as well. We will need her to up her game on both ends for us to be successful. We want her to get us 8 points and 8 rebounds every game, while keeping the other team’s post players in check.”
Moore on Shepherd: “London is very athletic and versatile player who will likely play some wing and post this season.”
Moore on Cochran: “Riley is a crafty player who jumps well and should help us in the post this season.”
Freshmen Zoe Williams, Allie Brown and Kaidence Stiles will look to make immediate varsity impacts.
Moore on Williams: “Zoe will be our starting point guard this season, and we are excited about her skill set. She handles the ball well, makes good decisions in transition and shoots the three impressively well for a freshman.”
Moore on Brown: “Allie will likely be in the guard rotation for major varsity minutes this year. She’s a player with a high motor and is a tough competitor who raises the level of intensity of our team when she’s on the court.”
Moore on Stiles: “Kaidence will add toughness to our lineup this year. We will expect her to come off the bench and up the energy at both ends. She will likely be a back-up to all three guard positions, so her versatility will be a strong asset for our team, which is impressive for a freshman.”
This group will be inexperienced but athletic.
“I think the biggest strengths for our team this year will be athleticism and versatility. The players moving up to the varsity are all multi-sport athletes who bring speed, bounce and the ability to play multiple positions,” Moore said. “We will need to execute our defensive schemes at a high level. Most of these girls will be seeing their first real varsity action this year, so the faster they figure out the defensive end, the better off we will be this season.”
Carthage opens the season on Nov. 25 at home against Carl Junction. Moore hopes to see the roster grow by leaps and bounds from Game 1 to the district tournament.
“The biggest indicator of success for us this year will be how much we can grow,” Moore said. “We’ve lost 7 of our top 10 players from last year, so we have a lot to learn at the varsity level. If we are still growing and getting better in February, that will let me know that we’ve been successful.”
