By Chris Parker
Reeds Spring girls basketball went 15-11 last season to post the program’s first winning record since 2011-12.
“Our success came from the team’s willingness to grow together,” Reeds Spring head coach Damon Asbill said. “Even without seniors, the girls showed maturity, bought into their roles, and improved throughout the season. Their chemistry and consistency were the driving forces behind the turnaround.”
The Lady Wolves will look for more this season with a full roster back.
“We return all of our varsity players, and the continuity shows,” Asbill said. “The girls improved steadily last season, found their rhythm, and play with effort on every possession.”
Junior Saylor Johnson earned second-team all-conference honors as a sophomore.
“She has steadily improved her ball-handling and continues to develop as a confident scorer,” Asbill said. “We expect her to help initiate the offense and evolve into a true scoring threat.”
Kylie Fitzwater and Allie Johnson each enter their senior seasons coming off honorable mention all-conference honors.
“Their leadership is invaluable,” Asbill said. “Both have grown into strong, dependable players who have experienced nearly every situation over the past three years and learned from it.”
Fitzwater is a strong defender while Johnson is a true two-way threat according to Asbill.
“Kylie is a lockdown defender with varsity experience dating back to her freshman year. She is a very strong player that we hope to see play in college next year,” Asbill said. “Allie is a true two-way threat. She continues to expand her skillset and is hungry to prove herself this season.”
Emmarae Thompson (senior), Illyssa Finney-Allen (junior), Grace Johnson (junior) and Britney Nordin (junior) are all returning players.
Asbill on Thompson: “A strong interior presence. She’s a physical rebounder and anchors the defense in the paint.”
Asbill on Finney-Allen: “She showed tremendous growth last season. She has become a strong defender and is developing into a consistent offensive threat.”
Asbill on Grace Johnson: “Our sixth player off the bench. She has an excellent defensive instinct, consistently finds herself in the right place, and excels at taking charges.”
Asbill on Nordin: “Britany is a shooting guard who has worked hard on her shot, and she is beginning to see the results of her dedication.”
Kaylee Howe is another junior who will have a reserve role.
“She is a returning player this year that we hope will add depth to our bench,” Asbill said. “She is multi-sport athlete with a great upside.”
Reeds Spring opens the season on Nov. 21 at Green Forest (Ark.).
“For us to consider this season successful, we want to surpass last year’s win total and advance out of districts,” Asbill said. “This is one of the most exciting groups I’ve coached. They work extremely hard, genuinely care for one another, and push each other to improve daily. It’s exciting to think about what this team can accomplish.”
