Page 37 - 2018 TR Basketball Preview

THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018
37SS
HOXIE LADY MUSTANGS
HOXIE MUSTANGS
Hoxie focused on goals
NOV. 12-13 ......... @HIGHLAND TOURNAMENT NOV. 15 ...............................(G) @PIGGOTT* NOV. 16 ...............................(B) @PIGGOTT* NOV. 19 ................................(B) HILLCREST NOV. 20 ............................. MOUNTAIN VIEW NOV. 26 ............................. (G) @GOSNELL* NOV. 27 ................................ (B) GOSNELL* NOV. 29 ........................(G) WALNUT RIDGE* NOV. 30 ..................... (B) @WALNUT RIDGE* DEC. 3 ............................ (G) RIVERCREST* DEC. 4 .......................... (B) @RIVERCREST* DEC. 7 .................................. (B) PIGGOTT* DEC. 7 ................................. (G) ORAN, MO. DEC. 13 ...................................(G) MANILA* DEC. 14 ................................ (B) @MANILA* DEC. 18 ..................................... OSCEOLA* DEC. 20 ............................ (G) @TRUMANN* DEC. 21 ............................... (B) TRUMANN* JAN. 3 .................................. (G) CORNING*
JAN. 4 ................................(B) @CORNING* JAN. 4 ................................... (G) PIGGOTT* JAN. 7 .................................. (G) GOSNELL* JAN. 8 ................................(B) @GOSNELL*
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
The Hoxie Lady Mustangs were not
happy about being bumped in the first round of last year’s state tournament, and head coach Mike Chipman said he
expects a more focused desire to achieve their goal this season.
“We have a ton of experience coming back, and we expect to be extremely competitive throughout the course of the season,” Chipman said. “We don’t have a ton of girls on our roster, but the girls we have can play.
“If you come to a Lady Mustangs game, you’re going to see us get up and down the floor, work on defense and rebound the basketball.”
Returning for Hoxie this season is three-year starter and senior Sydney Gillham, who averaged 14.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last year; three-year starter and senior Kaitlin Henson, who averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds per game; junior Emily Davis, who averaged 8 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game; and senior Tessa Glenn, who averaged 11 points per game last year.
Chipman said Gillham has tons of experience and knows how to get to the basket and follows her shot and rebounds well. The coach said Henson is long and athletic and “uses her long arms to affect shots on defense and handles the ball well, which causes matchup problems on defense.”
“Emily Davis is calm and steady and handles pressure well,” Chipman said. “She has good size
LADY MUSTANGS continued on 38SS
RURAL SPECIAL LADY REBELS
Lady Rebels have depth, are up to the challenge
RURAL SPECIAL REBELS
DEC. 7 ..................................... @SHIRLEY* DEC. 11 .......................................... @VIOLA DEC. 14 ................. MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA* JAN. 4 ................................. GUY-PERKINS* JAN. 8 .............................. @WONDERVIEW* JAN. 15 ......... @WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY* JAN. 18 ..................................@CONCORD* JAN. 22 ....................................... @TIMBO* JAN. 24 ...................................... SHIRLEY* JAN. 29 ............................ SACRED HEART* FEB. 1 ....... @IZARD COUNTY CONSOLIDATED FEB. 5 .................................... @PANGBURN FEB.8............................................ST.JOE
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
JAN. 10
JAN. 11
JAN. 14
JAN. 15
JAN. 21
JAN. 24
JAN. 25
JAN. 28
JAN. 29
JAN. 31
FEB. 1 ...............................(B) @TRUMANN* FEB. 4 ............................... (G) @CORNING* FEB. 5 .................................. (B) CORNING*
..................... (G) @WALNUT RIDGE* ........................ (B) WALNUT RIDGE* ......................... (G) @RIVERCREST* ............................(B) RIVERCREST* ......(B) CROWLEY’S RIDGE ACADEMY ................................ (G) @MANILA* ...................................(B) MANILA* ............................. (G) @OSCEOLA* ............................. (B) @OSCEOLA* ............................... (G) TRUMANN*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
Second-year head coach Trey Berry
said the Rural Special Lady Rebels will have a lot more depth this season, thanks to a large sophomore
class moving up to the varsity level.
“I just hope to get more people involved and spread the floor and open it up,” Berry said. “We want to pressure the ball on defense
and really get up and get after it.”
Rural Special finished 26-14 last year and
has two returning starters, including senior Maddison Kocher and senior Olivia Carlton. Kocher averaged 18 points a game with 3 rebounds and 9 assists, while Carlton had 17 points a game with 9 rebounds.
“Maddison is a good leader, a good point guard and a good motivator,” Berry said. “She gets everybody going.”
The coach said Kocher is quick and can “go around any defender if played tight.”
“She can shoot if defense is backed off,” Berry said. “She can really see the floor.”
Berry said Kocher spends a lot of time in the gym working on her shots and getting stronger.
“She is improving her game anyway she can,” Berry said. “Olivia is a dual threat. She’s strong, tall and can play inside or outside, de- pending on our matchup.
“We’re a lot deeper than last year, so there are more threats for other teams to guard.”
Rural Special has moved to the 1A-5 Conference, which includes Mount Vernon and Wonderview, who both played for the Class 1A state championship last season.
“We are in a brutal conference this year,” Berry said. “The conference is made up of nine teams, and any of the nine teams could potentially make a postseason run.
“It is going to be brutal.”
Berry thinks his girls are up to the challenge.
“They play well together; the chemistry is there,” Berry said. “They played together this summer, and it really helped build their chemistry.
“I hope we continue that throughout the year.”
....................................@BERGMAN ................................. BRUNO-PYATT .......................................... FLIPPIN .......................................NORFORK ................................. CALICO ROCK ............ @SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH
OCT. 16
OCT. 19
OCT. 22
OCT. 23
OCT. 26
OCT. 30
NOV. 1 ................................. WONDERVIEW* NOV. 6 ....................................... @QUITMAN NOV. 9 ................ @MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA*
NOV. 13
NOV. 19
NOV. 27 ............WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY* NOV. 30 .................................... CONCORD* DEC. 4 .......................................... TIMBO*
............................. @GUY-PERKINS* .......................... @SACRED HEART*