By Chris Parker
Sparta girls basketball has a new head coach in Mason Miller this season. Miller was most recently the head coach of the West Plains boys from 2023-25. He also has been an assistant for the Kickapoo and Houston boys previously in his career.
He was attracted to the program because of “the rich history of basketball success, the great and supportive community of Sparta, and the history of the Summit Conference as being one of the premier small school conferences in the state.”
Sparta is coming off a 16-12 season and has posted seven straight seasons of at or above .500 finishes.
“We have had a rich history and a lot of really good players over the years,” Miller said. “But ultimately it is, from the words of the legendary coach Nick Saban, a process, we will need to compete every play every day, have continuous improvement and be detail oriented.”
Armani Blackmon returns after earning first-team all-conference honors as a freshman.
“Armani is not only a good player, she is a good human being. She is not always the most vocal person, but she is a force in the post,” Miller said. “We are expecting her to build off the success she had last season. We want to have her, as well as other players, compete every play every day, improve continuously and be detail oriented.”
A host of other players return with varsity experience including Reese Loveland (senior guard), Sydney Willis (senior guard/forward), Claire Rains (junior guard), Sophia Lilly (sophomore guard), Kenna Walker (sophomore forward/guard) and Paisley Phillips (sophomore guard.
Miller on Loveland: “Reese is a player who really wants to have a great senior year. She is a player who can get rolling at any point from the three-point line. She will be a leader for us on and off the court.”
Miller on Willis: “Syd is a very skilled player and is one of the hardest working players we have. She is a leader on and off the court, she’ll be one of our defensive anchors this upcoming year. She will be a leader for us on and off the court.”
Miller on Rains: “Claire has put in a ton of work since I took this job. She has been working on being a three-level scorer. She brings some of the best defensive intensity and is a good rebounder.”
Miller on Lilly: “Sophia is a player who started at point guard in every game as a freshman. She has worked hard this summer and fall to develop her game into being an all-around player.”
Miller on Walker: “Kenna had a really good summer in which she had to play out of position at times. She has a really good touch around the basket and is a capable shooter.”
Miller on Phillips: “Paisley is a player who will have to handle the ball and also be one of our best defenders. She is a strong ball handler and can hit an outside shot.”
Miller has several area’s he is focusing on for improvement this season.
“There are always areas of improvement we can have, but some of the ones we have talked about are improving at the free throw line, being able to shoot a higher percentage from two’s, and doing a great job on the defensive side of the ball,” Miller said.
Miler is also excited for the home environment Sparta provides.
“I am personally super excited to be in a community that loves basketball,” Miller said. “Seeing that “Black Curtain” at our home games and being able to support our program. I am also super excited to see our girls on the court and being a family on and off the court.”
Sparta already has found success at home winning its first game of the season 78-19 over Galena on Monday. The Lady Trojans are back in action at the Blue Eye Tournament Dec. 1-6.
